One of the most practical results of good theology is a strong sense of hope and assurance. With these one may have peace, joy, and concern for others. I have not always had these, not because my stated theology was bad, but because my practical theology was. Let me explain. I can affirm what the Bible says, but if for whatever deep or hidden reasons I do not believe it so as to affect my feelings and actions, my stated theology is not my practical (aka: real) theology. The place where theology frequently shows itself awry is in the area of hope for eternity and assurance of salvation. Without confidence in where you will be in the afterlife, you have not confidence for living.
Does God exist? What is He like? What is the fundamental nature of man? Does man need to be rescued from sin? Is there an afterlife? Is there a heaven and a hell? Is there only one way to salvation? What is the way to salvation? These are fundamental questions of life. The Bible clearly speaks about all of these and more. It says that the above yes/no questions are all answered, “Yes!” Two of three of the other above questions may most simply be answered, “Jesus” (John 1:18, 14:6), and the third one, “in God’s image but broken.” (Genesis 1:26-27, Romans 3:23)
With that basic foundation, can a person be confident that they are saved and will remain so into eternity? Clearly, I John 5:13 says you may know. The remainder of this article is to explain from Scripture how I know that I will remain in this condition of “saved”, headed to heaven, and why I have confidence. I have been considering this blog entry for several months now, but I could not bring myself to complete it because the task seems so daunting. I have now written because I realized that I don’t have to nor can I write an exhaustive or even complete treatise on the subject. That is OK. I want to encourage others and myself, not write a book on theology.
Romans 8:28-39 says, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
But what if I quit loving God? If you belong to Him, you will not do that. How do I know? Read the passage. Second on the list of those whom “God causes all things to work together for good” are those “who are called according to His purpose.” In reference to Israel, Paul says, “The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29), but the idea may be applied to all who fall under His purpose. Notice the progression following, listed in past tense. “He foreknew.” As it says in Romans 9:11-13, “for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.” Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” It was not by anything that Esau or Jacob did but by God’s choice, which is a part of foreknowledge in that it involves predestinating, the next on the list. The next part of the sequence was calling. He then justified and finally glorified. In our time limited existence, glorified has not yet happened, but in God’s time scale it is a done deal. So how do you undo by your unbelief what God has already done and declared completed? You don’t! Those who turn back could not have ever been saved and were self-deceived, because “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)
Then God has Paul solidify the assurance by declaring that nothing can separate us from the love of God. The logical progression of the argument ensures that you know that no one or nothing physical or spiritual can rob God of you and therefore you of God. I find it most satisfying and interesting that He ends the list of things that cannot separate us from Him with “nor any other created thing.” (v.39) Are you, dear reader, a “created thing”? Can you separate yourself from God? I think not. Those whom God has chosen are confirmed. Those who separate themselves from the things of God were never His to start with. I am so thankful that I am His and that I am held firmly in the grasp of His mercy and grace.
A word of caution to those who feel self-satisfied with their assurance but show little or no evidence of a change in living. You are deceived. If I tell you that I have a red Lexus in the parking lot and you go out and do not find a red car nor a Lexus, then I have deceived you. Red and Lexus do not make them my car, but are mere evidences that the car is mine. So, if I say that I am a Christian, though I am not nor could I be saved by good works, then I must exhibit good works as evidence that God has gotten a hold of me and saved me. Am I being changed into a trajectory toward God and His ways, even with fits and starts and setbacks? Then I may have assurance that God has worked His work in my heart and I will persist in believing and persevere in salvation, already seen as glorified by God. Am I lacking in these evidences? Then I had better be crying out for God’s mercy and grace in my life so that I may see this sanctifying change, even if ever so slowly.
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CreatorWorship 
Hard Words
Posted in America, Consequences, Cultural commentary, Day of the Lord, General, God's Word, Judgment, Metaphor, tagged Cup of Wrath, Day of the Lord, End Times, Judgement, Obadiah on November 15, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Why did God include Obadiah in the Scriptures? Afterall, the judgements cited are repeated in Jeremiah 49, though who is repeating whom is not known since the date of Obadiah’s writing is uncertain. The book is very short, fewer verses than Jude, though a few dozen more words. Its purpose at the very least is to introduce or reiterate and confirm the judgements determined for Edom and clearly delineate why.
Verses 15-17 are key to the book:
“For the day of the Lord draws near on all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you.
Your dealings will return on your own head. Because just as you drank on My holy mountain,
all the nations will drink continually. They will drink and swallow and become as if they had never existed. But on Mount Zion there will be those who escape, and it will be holy. And the house of Jacob will possess their possessions.” Obadiah 15-17
God is making use of Edom as an example of how He deals with any and all nations that tamper with His Chosen People. Edom and Israel are closely related by blood, history, proximity, and interaction, but they are treated identically to any unbelieving nation that harms Israel and will receive the same treatment at the hand of God. At this level it seems straightforward.
The understanding of God’s determination turns on the metaphor of drinking. Jeremiah 49:12-13 says, “For thus says the Lord, “Behold, those who were not sentenced to drink the cup will certainly drink it, and are you the one who will be completely acquitted? You will not be acquitted, but you will certainly drink it. For I have sworn by Myself,” declares the Lord, “that Bozrah will become an object of horror, a reproach, a ruin and a curse; and all its cities will become perpetual ruins.” From the context it is obvious that the cup that Bozrah, the capitol city of Edom, will be forced to drink is not pleasant. It is a cup of judgement. The Lord more clearly defines the nature of this cup in Jeremiah 25:15-16: “For thus the Lord, the God of Israel, says to me, “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it. They will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them.” The cup is for Babylon, but verses seventeen and following tell of the many other nations who will have to drink it.
The tenses of the verb in the Obadiah verses cited above arrested my attention. In order they are “drank”, “will drink”, and “will drink”. Understanding that Edom will drink of God’s judgement and that all nations will likewise partake, is, as I said, straightforward. But what is it that Edom “drank”. Is God from His eternal, non-time bound perspective speaking of Edom’s future judgement as though it has already happened? I think that the detail of the passage says otherwise.
“As you have done, it will be done to you.” (v.15) In the metaphor of “drink”, I believe that the passage is saying that as you, Edom, did harm to My People, I, God, will do harm to you. How had Edom drunk? Verse 10 says, “Because of violence to your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame, and you will be cut off forever.” Then the prophet lists the things that they should not do which they later did when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem. The cup that is drunk is one of wrath. Edom got their fill of scoffing, looting, enslaving, and cutting down escaping Israelites. They would receive the same punishment and more from God since they would “become as if they never existed” (v.16), like the nations.
The application to the United States as one of the nations is obvious. God will not ignore the many evil things that America has done and is doing to many peoples including their own. To name but a few, recall our proxy wars, setting up tribes (Taliban for instance) and turning around to destroy them, broken treaties, the many ways we poison our food, water, air, and soil for profit, sex trafficking, and abortion. Persecution of God’s People, the Church and the remnant of Israel, by America has begun and will intensify. God will not turn a blind eye concerning all of this evil. We will be judged like all the other nations who have not acknowledged Him and have hurt His People.
The judgements listed in Obadiah for Edom and the nations are further tied to the day of the Lord which includes God’s blessing of Israel. It is hard to sort out what parts of what verses refer to Edom and Jerusalem in the past and which are reserved for the future but based on the immediate and wider context of eschatological Scriptures, God is not done with Israel or the nations. And it is abundantly clear when the last verse of Obadiah says, “The deliverers will ascend Mount Zion to judge the mountain of Esau, and the kingdom will be the Lord’s.” (Obadiah 21) Take note of similar statements at the end of Joel 3, Amos 9, Zephaniah 3, and all of Zechariah 14, not to mention numerous times among the “major” prophets. The day of the Lord is a time of setting things right by fulfilling promises for judgement of sin and completing all of the blessings God has promised but not yet fulfilled. God be praised for His infinite knowledge, righteousness, and power. He has made known what His plans are for mankind.
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