Article: Partial or Separate Rapture and the Condition to Receive this Reward

[savedwheat]

You can view the page at http://biblocality.com/forums/conten...ve-this-Reward

[Yshua]

Blessings. I am watching every day but have a question. How can any born again believer know what God's "standards" are? I read and understand Matthew 5-7 but how many Christians can transparently say they "keep" these teachings, every day? The Lord said to "watch and pray" so that we may not give in to temptation by the world system. I think that is a high enough standard. I believe by faith that God's grace will keep me watching as I keep my eyes on Him. I cannot worry about whether or not I am meeting His standards since He is perfect and I am fallible. Trying to keep His "standards" sounds more like trying to reach the five pillars of Islam. Your thoughts please? Blessings in Messiah Yeshua.

[savedwheat]

It's not up to you to say if you are keeping the word of God, but to do the best you can do according to the Scriptures. Though some are given a "white stone" (Rev. 2.17) or some special sign they are an overcomer. Watch and pray encompasses much more. The Bible says to run the race. So run. Don't concern yourself with introversion, but keep your eye on Christ at all times. Trying to keep the 5 pillars of Islam for initial salvation by works or to be kept saved is quite unlike God's approach. The Bible teaches a person can never lose salvation so when the Bible says to keep the conduct of Matthew 5-7, for example, don't accuse God of being Islamic. The first rapture is according to readiness. If you have the pretention of assuming you will be raptured beforehand then you are seen as not ready already, because that is not a humble position to take. What I do is I run the race and leave it up to God if I am ready to be raptured alive at the first rapture. If I am not, I will know there were some things to overcome. One of the greatest sayings I ever heard was from T. Austin Sparks who said, referring to the partial rapture, "there are advanced parties and harbingers in every sphere." Firstfruits and later harvests (1 Cor. 15.23). So it is with the first rapture. Even Paul did not count himself as worthy for the first rapture. Christians are often comparing themselves with non-believers or wheat with tares, when the Bible emphasizes more often than not comparing wheat with wheat.

[Yshua]

I was not accusing God of being Islamic, just pointing out that that religion has its standards. I agree with your response, I do not assume I am worthy, and I do leave up to God whether I am worthy of the Rapture. I am just still struggling with the "fact" of a Rapture. I have prayed and read Revelation, Daniel, the prophets, the Epistles, and all I still see are two Comings of the Lord, not a secret snatching away in between. Pray for me that God will fully reveal a Rapture to me because I struggle with the concept. Blessings.

[savedwheat]

But you are accusing God of being Islamic since you said this conduct of a good Christian you compared to keeping the 5 pillars of Islam. What makes you think there are two comings of the Lord if there is a first rapture? First the Lord meets the saints before the throne in 3rd heaven (Rev. 7.9), before the first trumpet (8.7), then He comes on the clouds, through the clouds, to the meet the saints in the air at the last trumpet. Only after that does Jesus then step down on the mount of olives. Why would you think He steps down on the mount of olives a second time? That makes no sense. The secret snatching away as you put is not so secret for several million people will vanish, and the world will be fully aware of it. I am my praying for, and even more than that, corrected you on your mistaken assumptions.