Foundation: Building Blocks of the Faith-Week 6
Hebrews 5:12-14 (NLT) You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. 13 For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. 14 Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.
Hebrews 6:1-2 (NKJV) Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Genesis 1:26 (NKJV) Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness..."
What does being created in the image of God have to do with eternity?
God is an Eternal Being...
-Ps. 90:2 "...from everlasting to everlasting You are God."
-Rev. 1:8 “...who was, who is, and is to come"
-Is. 9:6 "Father of eternity"
-1 Tim. 1:17 "King of eternity”
We were born with eternal life already woven into our spiritual DNA.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV) He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Job 36:26 (TLB) No one can begin to understand eternity.
John 5:28-29 (ESV) Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
Hebrews 9:27 (NLT) And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment.
2 Corinthians 5:10 (NLT) And we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.
Judgment — "a decision resulting from an investigation.”
Romans 14:12 (ESV) So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
We will be divided into two groups:
-Unbelievers will stand before the "Great White Throne of Judgment.”
-Believers will stand before the "Judgment Seat of Christ.”
"You can't patch up your prayer life when you get to the Judgment Seat, you can't sacrifice when you get to the Judgment Seat, you can't weep when you get to the Judgment Seat...it's all between here and there...This period we're in now is a dressing room for eternity — that's all it is!” —Leonard Ravenhill
Four factors in God's judgment:
1. God judges according to our works
Revelation 20:12 (NKJV) And 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.
“Our current level of obedience in this life is what will ultimately determine our place of service and responsibility in the next life.”
2. God judges without partiality
Romans 2:11 (NKJV) For there is no partiality with God.
“God doesn't have an unfair bias in favor of one person over another."
1 Peter 1:15-17 (NKJV) but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." 17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear…
How can God remain impartial?
3. God judges according to the truth
Romans 2:1-2 (NKJV) Therefore you are inexcusable, O man... 2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth...
What is God's truth based off of?
John 17:17 (NKJV) Your word is truth.
4. God judges according to the Word
John 12:48 (NKJV) …the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
Psalm 119:160 (NKJV) The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.