Quote:
Originally Posted by countmeworthy
I LEAN on Door #1. BUT Door #1 must be more specific. Many believers are not saved because they have never truly trusted/experienced the Precious Blood of Jesus. They think they will go to heaven by believing in God and doing good works, going to church, giving tithes, giving to the poor etc..
As I wrote earlier, the LC teachings on the rapture be it partial, pre trib, mid trib, post trib or even PAN TRIB.. (it will all pan out = pan trib  ) were very confusing to me. And when I have asked LCrs in recent years their thoughts on the rapture, they are tongue tied. |
Pan trib! I love it - that's really the bottom line!
To put it in simple terms, there are two basic sets of rapture verses (following Nee's outline):
1. Verses that show rapture before the GT
2. Verses that show rapture after the GT
I've found that usually when the Bible talks specifically about two things that appear to be contradictory (think predestination vs free will), then they are still both true. It is just our limited mentalities which can't seem to accept that both are valid. But if it's in the word, it is true. Trouble arises when we, in our limited mentality, glom onto one or the other, and make our stand there. And therefore, figuratively speaking, cut those troublesome and apparently contradictory verse out of our Bible!
So if there are verses showing that rapture occurs after the GT and before, then how can this be? Our concept says there is one rapture. So which is true, our concept or the Word? (not a tough question, at least in theory)
One thing we find with verses talking of the pre-Trib is that there is some condition set for that promise. For instance, the Lord tells the ekklesia in Philadelphia (Rev 3) that "Because you have kept the word of my endurance, I will keep you out of the hour of trial." Christ praises the ones in Philadelphia for their actions (no rebuke like other churches), and says "Because you have . . . I will keep you out . . ."
So yes, we true Christians are all redeemed by His blood and have been reborn with His indwelling life and have been made new creations in Him, but there is also the matter of our actions after this wonderful occurrence. I have gotten much clearer on this, this past year. It is not so much about the performance-based walk idea I seemed to pick up in the LC, which was a heavy burden indeed. But there definitely is a matter of being well-pleasing to Him - being faithful in at least a few things (as he tells the unfaithful servant in Matt 25).
Many Christians miss this matter of what is expected of them after the new birth. We will all give an account of what we did with the grace He's given us - so yes, our works are examined, with potential reward.
That was just my overview thoughts as a quick response, and I hope I conveyed things clearly. Does any of that make sense?
BTW - Just because WN and WL advocated the partial rapture, doesn't make it wrong. They were standing on the teachings of several before them (so let's not throw the proverbial baby out with the dirty bath water).