Did You Miss the Rapture?

A Letter to Friends and Family That Are Left Behind

A Letter To My Family And Friends Which I Have Prepared In Advance To Help And To Guide You

Published on Sunday January 21, 2024

If You Missed The Rapture

Thanks Be To God for Your Ability to Find This Message
It is by the grace and mercy of God’s himself!

The Gospel

What You Must Know and Do to Be Saved

The Bare Bones Gospel in Six Points

1. The Gospel is God's offer of salvation to all. Satan seeks to make it unattractive or irrelevant by any possible means.

2. The Gospel begins to make sense when a person admits to being a sinner and that being so places him or her under the sentence of death: eternal separation from God.

3. The Gospel is the only means by which sinners may be reconciled to God and given eternal life.

4. Jesus Christ is qualified to be our Savior by his sinless nature. But his nature includes his being God in the flesh. This is the substance of his inherent authority as Lord.

5. The Bible states that Jesus's resurrection from the dead certified the effectiveness of his sacrifice on the cross. Personal belief in the resurrection is fundamental to saving faith in Christ.

6. The salvation that is offered through the Gospel is appropriated solely by faith. Faith in Christ is a willful choice to rely upon the sacrifice of Christ as the payment for one's personal debt of sin.

Satan: A Defeated and Angry Foe

Let's be straight up about this: Satan is a sore loser. The resurrection of Christ attested the devil's future defeat at the end of history. This guarantee of his judgement and pending eternity in Hell only fuels his wrath against God. And in the interim, he'll do all he can to take as many people with him as possible. He does so by keeping them out of the arms of the Savior. His primary strategy in doing this is to cloud the essentials of the Gospel. And he uses at least ten devices to do it:

1. Make the Gospel appear irrelevant through atheism or agnosticism

2. Make the Gospel appear irrelevant by worldly attractions and distractions

3. Offer the deceptive substitutes of other religions or "faiths"

4. Confuse the essentials of the Gospel with the surface behaviors and activities that people associate with Christianity

5. Convince people that their sin is too small to keep them out of heaven

6. Convict people that their sin is too great to be covered by God's mercy and redemption

7. Convince people that good works or a favorable comparison with other sinners (God "grading them on the curve") will save them

8. Change the definition of sin, or convince people sin has no eternal consequences

9. Taint the Gospel as the plan of an unjust, capricious, or "blood-thirsty" God

10. Distract people with thorny issues, with disagreements with what God says about something in the Bible, or by his failure to act when they think he should have

If you were left on the earth in the wake of the Rapture, you've probably been victimized by one or more of these deceptions. This message is written to clear the air on what the genuine Good News is all about—and to leave false notions about the Gospel message in the dust.

The Background of the Gospel

There are three wonderful terms that characterize what the Gospel is all about: grace, mercy, and peace. Here's some thumbnail descriptions for each. They don't reflect the breadth and depth of each term, but they’ll do for starters:

Grace is God's giving us what we don't deserve;

Mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve;

Peace is God reconciling us to himself in the person of Christ.

Grace is about salvation, adoption into God's family, heaven, and everything else that comes with faith in Jesus. Given our inherent condition, none of these are deserved. Nor can they be earned. Mercy is about pardon from judgement. Given our condition and God's holiness, judgement is what we do deserve. Peace is about establishing the kind of relationship that God has intended men and women to have with him from the beginning.

Of course, each of these three terms also have huge application for folks after they become believers. But here at the start, they're an easy to memorize backdrop for what the Bible teaches as the kernels of the Good News. And "good news" is precisely what the word "gospel" means.

The Essentials of the Gospel

Note how Paul identifies the fundamentals of the Gospel in the opening verses of his letter recorded in 1 Corinthians 15. Please take a look at that now:

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..., (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

These are the matters "of first importance":

• Christ (it's the Greek word for "Anointed One", the Messiah, as promised in the Old Testament; many of those passages reflect his divine nature);

• died for our sins according to the Scriptures (that is, the sins of each particular person that needs a savior);

• and was raised to life on the third day-again, according to the Scriptures.

Note that each one of these things is based on what God had previously established as biblical truth.

When he wrote to the early Christians at Rome, Paul covered these things this way: "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).

This is shorter, but essentially covers the same things. Here he also speaks of Jesus as divine (the essence of his being "Lord") and that he was raised from the dead. Implied in his death is that it had a purpose: to be a substitute for us, as the payment of the penalty due for our sins.

Paul says that a person has two resulting obligations: they must be believed and they must be declared. Belief is your personal reliance on their actuality. Declaration is a verbal admission that you've availed yourself of them, that you want them to be effective for you personally.

"Believe" and "declare" in this verse from Romans 10 parallel "receive"
and "stand upon" in the opening verse of 1^st Corinthians 15.

They affect your conscious choice to agree with God about what he says of your lost and guilty condition. They also reflect your wish to personally lay hold of his remedy for it, the sacrifice of his son on the cross. Finally, they reflect your willingness to affirm these truths as occasion arises.

Christ... died for our sins... and was raised on the third day. This is the essence of the Gospel.

Anything different from these three fundamentals either confuses or negates them (remember those ten "devices" itemized at the beginning of this message?).

The Gospel is the message that Satan seeks to suppress by any and every means. That's because it's the only means by which we can be brought out of darkness into Jesu's marvelous light. It's the only means by which we get to heaven.

And it's the only means by which God lifts us out of the hands of the evil one, who has taken us captive to do his will (1 John 5:19).

The False Notion of Many Ways to Heaven

We're sure you've often heard that there are "many ways to heaven.' Folks say that because they don't want to deal with these truths. Or they may say that Jesus's being the only way of salvation is arbitrary, arrogant, narrow-minded, or ungracious— and that the Gospel must therefore be false. In settling your opinion, wouldn't you conclude that Jesus Christ himself should be the expert on the matter?

Well then, here's what Jesus said:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

Jesus being the way to be saved and to go to heaven doesn't ultimately rest on the teachings of Christianity as a religion. And it certainly doesn't rest on the opinion of any particular person, whether believer or not. In the end, it rests on the claims of Christ alone.

Pay special attention to Jesus's use of the word "the" with each essential in this statement. Jesus is:

• not "a" way (that is, one of many),

• not "a" truth (among others of equal standing),

• nor is he simply some mystical kind of "a" life, some sort of existence that we're left to speculate about.

No, Jesus is the fundamental essence of these three things. And it's because he's the embodiment of them that salvation is available through him—and through him only.

Peter also puts to rest any notion of there being many ways to God and to heaven.

Jesus said,

"There is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

He does more than just say that Jesus is the only way, he says that he's the absolutely necessary way. He didn't say can be saved," he said "must." That makes believing in Christ for salvation a moral obligation —with all the implied eternal consequences.

Heaven if we do believe, hell if we don’t believe. And that, my friend, should really focus your attention.

The Primary Admission: That I Am a Sinner

For many, the greatest hurdle in trusting in Christ is accepting the real need for it. It's admitting that they're sinners, not just in their deeds, but by their very nature. If they've convinced themselves that sin isn't a significant issue, Jesus becomes no more relevant than any other person from the dusty pages of history. If a person can dismiss the issue of sin, then they can dismiss with a single wave both their own true condition and the One who was sent by God to save them from it.

Look, nobody likes talking about sin. But especially as a personal matter. Being a "sinner" smacks of failure, imperfection, unacceptability to God, even social disgrace. It has to be avoided because our pride demands that we not fall short, but especially by comparison with others. And so, we delude ourselves by thinking we are better than most:

"Why, look at what I've made of myself!" Or, we buy into the deception that our good deeds will work as some self-printed admission ticket to heaven. But if that's true, then Christ died for nothing (Gal 2:21)!

But Just What Is "Sin"?

So, let's get down the nitty-gritty: Just what is sin? It's breadth and depth are seen in how many words are used in the Bible to describe it The Old Testament uses at least ten separate Hebrew terms for sin, and the Greek New Testament has at least fifteen. Each of them has a particular nuance, of course. But all of them ultimately boil down to two basic components:

1.   our lack of conformity to God's character, and

2.   our willful independence before him.

Independence and not coming up to God's standards are more than just our inclinations. Sin (in the singular) is at the very root of our being: i's our inherent condition (see Ps 51:5; ph 2:1-3) Its this condition that produces all of our behaviors and attitudes that fall short of God's standard (that's sins, in the plural).

On Sin, Death, and Judgement

Both the condition of sin and the deeds it generates place us under God's righteous judgement. Perhaps a bit too simply, sin is the basis of his legal charge against us, sins are the evidence. Paul puts the penalty very plainly: "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23; see also James 1:15).

Consider what Paul wrote about the condition of his readers before they believed in Christ: "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins" (Ephesians 2:1). Almost without exception, when most people speak of death, they're thinking only biologically. But if we limit death simply to its physical aspect (Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 15:22a), we make a serious error. Because the Bible reveals two non-physical effects that also apply, even while we're alive.

The first is a profound separation from God himself (see Genesis 3:8-11; Isaiah 59:2). This is death in the spiritual realm. It's an absence of the intimacy that we were intended to have with him from the beginning. It's an estrangement that makes it impossible for a person to properly please him (Romans 8:7-8; Hebrews 11:6). Those who don't pass from death to life by belief in Jesus (John 3:18; 5:24) remain under the judgement of God, not just in this life (John 3:36), but in the next (Revelation 20:15).

The second effect is the death of one's own spirit. Being dead in trespasses and sins is described as being in a condition of spiritual darkness (Eph 5:8). It's an inability to properly recognize, access, and employ the truth (Rom 1:21). It's no wonder Jesus said that a person

"must be born again" through their trust in him (John 3:3, 7, 16).

Can One's Sins Be Beyond Remedy?

We've just spoken about folks who dismiss sin as a personal issue.

Well, there are others with just the opposite problem. They have no difficulty at all in understanding that they're sinners. Recognition isn't the problem, magnitude is. They're conscious of sin so much—or of sins so many or terrible— that they think they're beyond redemption. They think that there has to be at least some limit to God's mercy in Christ, and what they've done has certainly exceeded it! From the opposite perspective, it's just another case of "Why, look at what I've made of myself!” God deals with this faulty thinking with an unexpected and dramatic example. Of all people, it comes from the Apostle Paul himself! Check this out:

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners— of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. (1 Tim 1:12-16)

This is his description of his former days as a Pharisee, a person who made it his business to expose the sins of others and see that it brought them to appropriate misery: What an admission! But that's not all. In the book of Acts, we find Paul openly admitting his involvement in puting people to death for having believed in Jesus (Acts 7:58; 9-1-2; 22:19-20; 26:9-11)!

Can't get any worse than that. And yet, he was shown mercy, even as the "worst of sinners". This was so that others would not be able to persuade themselves that Jesus couldn't — or wouldn't— save them.

However hefty the list of God's charges against Paul, they all grew out of his ignorance and unbelief. And that, friend, can be remedied in a moment through God's grace and mercy. But only if you're humbled enough to want Christ's death on the cross to count for you.

The Lordship of Christ

This is a good place to mention a critical truth about the person of Christ. It was mentioned above from 1 Corinthians 15 and Romans 10 and deals with Jesus's divinity. Put a bit more simply, Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. Paul says that "in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form" (Col 2:9). This divine nature was his even from before what we conceive of as time (John 1:1). It wasn't a condition that was bestowed upon him at his birth in Bethlehem.

It wasn't something that he later gained by some act, such as being baptized by John the Baptist. It wasn't something that was only temporary and passed from him when he died on the cross. It's a timeless aspect of his very nature (see Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 13:8).

Jesus Christ's divinity is essential to his being. It was also essential to his sacrifice on the cross, which required the perfection of sinlessness (Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 1:19). His divinity was at the source of his resurrection (John 10:17-18). And it's what he currently demonstrates to believers as their intercessor and High Priest (Hebrews 5:5-6; 7:24-28). It’s his divinity that makes him Lord. The Lord, far beyond anything a mere human could lay claim to.

Anyone who trusts in him for their salvation is brought into an intimate relationship with everything about him. Yes, he becomes a person's Savior when they appropriate his death for their sins by faith, but he is Lord regardless. That's why, in the end, every knee shall bow in that acknowledgement (Philippians 2:10-11).

Here's the gist of the matter: he holds all authority in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18). He therefore has a right to expect a responsiveness to that authority. But especially from those who place their faith in him (Luke 6:46; John 13:13-17). Every believer in Christ is obliged to respond to him in obedience.

This may sound to some as something a bit more than they want to buy into from the start. But that's a flawed perspective, a leftover from our previous history of willful independence toward God. Instead, we should think that our responsiveness to his lordship is just a part of a very special and intimate relationship with him. We will naturally want to please him (Ephesians 5:8-10).

Because Jesus's lordship isn't limiting or oppressive, he can give this unique perspective on obedience: 

"My yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matt 11:30).

The apostle John tells us that

*His commands are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3).

Think of this as real freedom. That's what's gifted to every person that places their faith in Christ

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly My disciples;  and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s seed and have never yet been enslaved to anyone. How is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. And the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. —John 8:31-36 LSB

It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, stand firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. —Galatians 5:1 LSB

It's a freedom not just from slavery to sin, but into the liberty to be of service to God

[7] for he who has died has been justified from sin. [18] and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. [22] But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you have your benefit, leading to sanctification, and the end, eternal life. —Romans 6:7,18,22 LSB

For you were called to freedom, brothers; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. —Galatians 5:13 LSB

Act as free people, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as slaves of God. —1 Peter 2:16 LSB

For the believer, Jesus is both Savior and Lord. Together, they produce both gratitude and obedience.

A Necessary Personal Decision:
Receive Christ as Savior and Lord

All of this is about the fundamentals of the Gospel, the good news about forgiveness of sin and how to obtain it. It all brings you to a decision that you must make. You need to do some personal business with Christ.

You may have other questions, but they can wait. Don't let them be excuses to delay this decision or kick it down the road for some other day. There is a whole new life that awaits you on the other side of that wall of separation, but it's without any meaning for you until you go through the door.

Jesus is the door.
The Gospel is the knob.

You can apply the Good News to yourself by prayer. Don't be intimidated. He's listening and expects you to use your own language and style.

Don't be "religious," just be honest. You can do it aloud or silently: he'll hear it either way. Here's the gist of what to say:

1. Tell Jesus that you know you're a sinner and recognize that it places you under eternal judgement.

2. Tell him that you've chosen to believe that he died on the cross in your place so that you can be forgiven and removed from that judgement.

3. Tell him that you believe that he rose from the grave.

4. Tell him that you acknowledge him as Lord, the final authority over how your life should be lived from this point onward.

He'll know you're thankful without you mentioning it—but feel free to mention it anyway.  Say an "amen" if you like: it just means "and that's the way it is." It's kind of like your nod to Jesus that you've said your peace while also requesting his.

Please consider this message and draw close to Jesus in truth and love. Be encouraged as you read the Bible and make use of the various Bibles that I purchased and have left behind for you. I love you and hope you will believe God’s word and that I will see you in Heaven soon. Be encouraged and know that God is with you in this time.

❤️ ❤️ ❤️