Believers And Professors

Ever since God has had a people separated to Himself they have been sorely troubled by the presence among them of those who professed to be, but were not, of them. And this will continue until "the Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall Sober out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do inquity... Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (Matt. 13:14-43).

Scripture plainly tells us of this mingling of tares and wheat-of mere professors among true believers. Yet misguided students have frequently applied to the children of God the warnings and exhortations meant only for the self-deceived or hypocritical.

The fact of such admixture is abundantly recognized in the Scriptures. (See Gen. 4:3-5; Exo. 12:38; Num. 11:4-6; Neh. 7:63-65; Neh. 13:1-3; Matt. 13:24-30; Matt. 13:37-43; 2Cor. 11:13-15; Gal. 2:4; 2Pet. 2:1-2.

It is impossible, in a brief Bible reading, to refer to all the passages which discriminate true believers from the mass of mere formalists, hypocrites, or deceived legalists, who are working for their own salvation instead of working out a salvation already received as a free gift. (See Phil. 2:12-13 with Eph. 2:8-9.) The following comparison of verses will sufficiently indicate the lines of demarcation.

The Four Gospels

The word "Gospel" means "Good News," and is so familiar that its application is supposed to be uniform. When, therefore, we read of

The Gospel of the KINGDOM,

The Gospel of the GRACE OF GOD,

The GLORIOUS GOSPEL, and

The EVERLASTING GOSPEL it is taken for granted that they all refer to one and the same thing. But this is not true.

1. THE GOSPEL OF THE "KINGDOM."~Matt. 24:14

This is the "Good News" that God purposes to set up a Kingdom on this earth over which David's Son, JESUS, shall reign, as prophesied in Luk. 1:32-33. Two preachings of this Gospel are mentioned, one past, beginning with the ministry of John the Baptist, and preached by Jesus and His Disciples, but it ended with the rejection of Jesus as King. This Gospel is to be preached again after the Church is taken out. It will be the fulfilment of Matt. 24:14, where it says: "This Gospel of 'THE KINGDOM' shall be preached in all the world for a WITNESS unto all nations; and then shall the end come." This has no reference to the Gospel that is now being preached to the nations. It is the Gospel of SALVATION, but the "Gospel of the Kingdom" is not for "Salvation" but for a WITNESS, that is, it is the announcement that the time has come to SET UP THE KINGDOM. It will be preached by Elijah the forerunner (Mal. 4:5-6), and by others who shall be commissioned to bear the news to all nations as a proclamation of the coming of Christ as King to occupy the "Throne of David," and for the purpose of regathering Israel to the Promised Land.

2. THE GOSPEL OF "THE GRACE OF GOD."~Acts 20:24.

This is the "Good News" that Jesus Christ, the rejected King, died on the Cross for our SALVATION. This form of the Gospel is described in many ways. It is called the "GOSPEL OF GOD" (Rom. 1:1), because it has its source in the LOVE OF GOD (John 3:16). Its Character is GRACE. Acts 20:24. Its Subject is CHRIST (Rom. 1:16; 2Cor. 10:14), and it is the POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION. And it is the "GOSPEL OF PEACE," because it makes peace between the sinner and God, and brings peace to the soul (Eph. 6:15).

3. THE "GLORIOUS" GOSPEL.~2Cor. 4:4; 1Tim. 1:11.

The "GLORIOUS GOSPEL" is that phase of the Gospel of "The Grace of God" that speaks of Him who is in the GLORY, and has been GLORIFIED, and who is bringing many sons TO GLORY (Heb. 2:10). It has special reference to His Second Coming, and is especially comforting to those who are looking for His GLORIOUS APPEARING (Tit. 2:13), and it is to this Gospel that Satan, the "God of this Age," is particularly anxious to "blind the minds" of those who believe not in the PreMillennial coming of the Lord (2Cor. 4:3-4).

4. THE "EVERLASTING" GOSPEL.~Rev. 14:6.

This Gospel will be proclaimed just before the "Vial Judgments," and by an angel. It is the only Gospel committed to an angel. It is neither the Gospel of the "Kingdom," nor of "Grace." Its burden is not SALVATION but JUDGMENT-"Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the HOUR OF HIS JUDGMENT IS COME."

It is "Good News" to Israel, and all who are passing through the "fires of Judgment," because it declares that their troubles will soon end in the Judgment and Destruction of Antichrist and his followers. It calls on men to worship God as "CREATOR," and not as "Saviour" and so it is called in the Revised version-"THE ETERNAL. GOSPEL," the Gospel that has been proclaimed front Eden down by Patriarchs and Prophets, and not an "Everlasting Gospel" in the sense that it saves men for all eternity. Its burden is not "Repent," or "do this" or "do that," but-"FEAR GOD, and give GLORY TO HIM; for the HOUR OF HIS JUDGMENT IS COME; and WORSHIP HIM THAT MADE HEAVEN, AND EARTH, AND THE SEA, AND THE FOUNTAINS OF WATERS." From this we see how important it is to distinguish between the various Gospels, not only as to their message, but the period to which they apply, otherwise there will be confusion and false teaching. See Chart, "The Four Gospels." Page 60.

There is also "ANOTHER GOSPEL" (Gal. 1:6-12, 2Cor. 11:4), which is not another, and which Paul repudiated. It is a perversion of the true Gospel and has many seductive forms, and in the main teaches that "FAITH" is NOT SUFFICIENT to Salvation, nor able to keep and perfect, and so emphasizes "GOOD WORKS." Col. 2:18-23, Heb. 6:1, Heb. 9:14. The Apostle Paul pronounces a fearful "Anathema" upon its preachers and teachers (Gal. 1:8-9).

From the book Rightly Dividing the Word by Clarence Larken (This book was published in 1921, and is now in the Public Domain.)

Just What The Bible Says About Saints

The word “saint” means separate, set apart. They had testament, never as the prefix to a name, but always with reference to ordinary believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. They are alive, living on the earth, when the name is given to them. If we look at some of the passages referring to them, we shall find that they were living in various cities and countries: Jerusalem (Acts 9:13); Rome (Rom. 1:7); Lydda (Acts 9:32); Joppa (Acts 9:41); Corinth (1Cor. 1:2); Achaia (2Cor. 1:1); Ephesus (Eph. 1:1); Philippi (Php. 1:1) ; and Colosse (Col. 1:2) ; as members of the churches in all these places, and of course in many places besides these which are specifically mentioned.

They had been sinners like the rest,

• They had been washed and sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of God (1Cor. 6:11).
• They had been redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus, and all their sins had been forgiven according to the riches of His grace (Eph. 1:7).
• They had been accepted in God's well-beloved Son (Eph. 1:6).
• They were in Christ (Eph. 1:1).
• In Christ they who once were far off had been made nigh (Eph. 2:13).

So near, so very near to God Nearer-I could not be-For in the person of His Son-I am as near as He.

Yet they were not perfect in themselves. The two letters to the Corinthian church reveal that these saints sometimes had grievous defects, falling far short of the sainthood or separateness from sin to which they had been called.

There were divisions among them, lawsuits, disorderly worship, and one case even of shocking immorality with which the church had to deal. Most of the other churches were better than this, but none were “perfect,” so God gave gifts to His Church “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry” (Eph. 4:12).

Where Did Jesus Go When He Died?

For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ~Matthew 12:40

Upon death, the Lord Jesus separated from His body and descended into Hell (at the heart of the earth) for three days and three nights. Read Luke 16:19-31 and, if you look it up, you will find that the Greek word for Hell is "Hades." This is where the saved (Old Testament saints) and the lost (sinners) both went since the time of Abel (the first man who died) until the time of Christ's ascension to Heaven. (And, since the time of Christ's ascension Hell has been a place where all the lost souls go upon death, whereas the saved started to go home directly to Heaven upon death).

Hades was composed of Paradise or "Abraham's Bosom" (Luk. 16:22) for the saved (Old Testament saints), and Torment for the lost (Luk.16:23). A gigantic gulf separated the two places, so that one could not pass over to the other side (Luk. 16:26). This was located in the center of the Earth as Matt. 12:40 states.

Luke 23:43 tells us that this is where Christ went upon His death. "And the thief said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom."

The Lord answered him by saying, "...Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise."

Furthermore, the old Apostle's Creed (Traditional English Version) has these words, "...suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into HELL..." Jesus really went to Hell to taste death for every man (Heb. 2:9) and to confirmed to the Old Testament people (both to the saints and the lost) that He is indeed the promised Redeemer (Job 19:25; 1 Pet. 3:19). When Jesus arose from the dead He defeated Hell and Death and become the mighty Savior to everyone who believes in Him (Acts 2:27, 31; Heb. 2:14; John 5:24; Heb. 7:25).

At Christ's resurrection, the Bible tells us farther that "many bodies of the [Old Testament] saints" also resurrected and went out from their graves, walked again upon this earth (Matt. 27:52-53) and eventually went to Heaven together with all the saints as Jesus transferred them from Hades to Heaven (Acts 1:11; Eph. 4:8-10).

After the Lord's Resurrection, He remained on Earth for forty days, showing Himself in His resurrected body. When He ascended back to Heaven (Acts 1:11), He emptied the Paradise in Hades, taking all the saved (Old Testament saints) back with Him to Glory. Eph. 4:8-9 gives the record,

"Now that he (Christ) ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth...Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he (Christ) lead captivity captive (those in Paradise to Heaven), and gave gifts unto men." 

In 2Co. 12:2-4 we are told that Paradise is now in Heaven.

"I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter."

In addition, let me share the answer of this question, "Why the souls of Old Testament saints did not go directly to Heaven when they died" (John 3:13)? The answer is this: Heaven is a place for holy and perfect people. Even they were righteous but they still needed to be perfect in the sight of God. So, they must wait for God's perfect sin offering to thoroughly cleanse them from all their sins to make them perfect, holy and complete in God's sight which is only through the substitutionary death and atoning sacrifice of Jesus in Calvary (Heb. 10:10, 14). Every man who enters Heaven must be washed by the blood of Jesus (the Lamb of God) and must be clothed with His righteousness (Col. 1:22; Rev. 1:5; Rom. 10:4) to become holy, perfect and complete in God's sight.

Today, when a Christian dies, they go immediately to Paradise to be with the Lord in Heaven. As apostle Paul said, "we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." (2Co. 5:8). At death, the Christian only changes his location. Therefore, leaving his body behind, he (his soul and spirit—the real "you") enters the glories of Heaven! Indeed, for true Christians, to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Phil. 1:21). Hallelujah!