The True Grace of God transcript I Peter 5:12 With the help of Silas, whom I consider to be a faithful brother to you, I have written briefly, exhorting you and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand. It always been about grace. Grace predates the law. How do I know that? Jesus was slain before the foundation of the world. William Tennent Jr. had become the pastor of the Old Scots Presbyterian Church in Freehold, New Jersey following the death of his brother, who had been the previous pastor. The church’s location was strategic—situated in the heart of the Middle Colonies—and Tennent served the church for forty-three years. He was a fiery champion of the mighty revival known as the Great Awakening and the ensuing drive for religious liberty and American independence. One day as Tennent was talking to a friend, he collapsed and, from all appearances, died. In those days it was difficult to gauge the moment of death. But Tennent seemed to be gone, so his body was prepared for burial, and his funeral was announced for the next day. When his physician friend returned from a trip and heard the news, he went straight to Tennent’s body and examined it carefully for any possible sign of life. Convinced the young scholar wasn’t dead, the doctor moved the body to a warm bed, and the funeral was postponed. Tennent’s brother, certain his sibling was gone, grew angry. For three days and nights the two men engaged in an ongoing debate about when the funeral should occur. The doctor sat by the bedside unwilling to declare the man dead. Events finally came to a climax when the brother came to take Tennent’s body for the funeral. We left off with a call to Christian arms. Now being armed, we are ready for the end time battle. 1 Peter 4:7 “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” 1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ The end of all things is at hand or is near. So we are talking about end time events. Only those who believe in a pretrib rapture (that God will remove the church from Earth before the tribulation, the time of judgment that shall fall upon the world in the last days), can truly say Jesus could come at any moment. In all the other views, other things have to happen first. I have heard it all, “There is zero evidence for a pretrib rapture!” “No verse in the Bible teaches a pretribulation rapture. “There are not two comings! The rapture and the second coming are the same thing!” “J.N. Darby invented the pretrib rapture!” “J.N. Darby got the pretrib rapture teaching from a false prophetess by the name of Margaret McDonald who got it from a deceiving spirit pretending to be the Holy Spirit.” “Why should the last generation of the church get a free pass from suffering and tribulation?” “Those who follow only the Bible and refuse to follow men never find the pretribulation rapture in the Bible.” But such claims are attacks, not sound arguments. They boil down to an accusation of ignorance, of recklessness, of evading duty, of being mere followers of men. I want to answer the objection, “There are not three comings, there are two.” One of the most striking evidences for making unity between the rapture and the second coming is found in Paul’s well-known rapture passage, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Here, in verses 15-17, Paul draws a distinction between the parousia and the apantesis of the parousia. The parousia is the King’s royal entrance (the second coming) and the apantesis is his subjects going out to meet him (the rapture) so they can accompany him in his royal entrance. Let’s examine this passage and glean the precious truth that it offers on this matter, truth that many overlook. The word coming in verse 15 is the Greek word παρουσία (parousia). It means “coming” and “presence”. The word translated meet in verse 17 is the Greek word ἀπάντησις (apantesis). It means “meeting”. Both of these terms were used for the arrival of kings, a fact which sheds light on the correct understanding of this passage. Parousia in Koine Greek was used of a king coming to visit a conquered land or a new emperor entering Rome. In such instances it is typically translated coming, though entrance is a suitable paraphrase because the emphasis is on the moment of arrival. This word is the most common term used in the New Testament for the second coming. Its usage implies the royal entrance of the King of kings. Apantesis, though often used in a general sense for simple meeting, was used when of loyal subjects going out to meet the approaching king so they could join his train and accompany him in his royal entrance. It wasn’t uncommon for folks to make a journey of one or two days to share in this privilege. Theodore of Cyrus described this practice in his handling of this passage in his work Interpretation of the Fourteen Epistles of Saint Paul. So also with a king entering a city. The most worthy go out to meet him somewhere distant with outlay (personal cost). Those guilty of harboring internal complaints wait for the coming (entrance) of the king. These senses are the senses that apantesis and parousia bear in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. When we grasp this, we will understand this passage in the same way that the average Koine Greek speaker in Paul’s day did. We will see a time span between the second coming and the rapture, that is, between the parousia, which is the King’s royal entrance, and the preceding apantesis, which is the church going out to meet their King and join his train so they can accompany him in his royal entrance. This doesn’t itself argue for a pretribulation rapture, but it does argue that the rapture must precede the second coming, which strengthens the overall case for a pretribulation rapture. And you see it is one coming with two phases of that coming. It’s important to remember that there were multiple aspects or phases of Christ’s first coming: His birth, His life, His death, His resurrection, and His ascension. These events were all part of the first coming and were separated by periods of time. In the same way, I believe there are two aspects of the Lord’s second advent: the rapture, which takes place in the air, and the return, which begins in the air but ends with a return to earth. 1 Peter 4:7 “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” 1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ One does not watch, wait, and look each day for something that cannot happen until the coming of the Antichrist or the end of a seven year tribulation period. There has to be a coming of Christ that could happen at any moment. If this is not a silver bullet, I think it is close. “Therefore watch always and pray that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will happen and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke‬ ‭21‬:‭36‬ ‭MEV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Revelation 3:10-11 Because you have kept My word of patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation which shall come upon the entire world, to test those who dwell on the earth. “Look, I am coming quickly…(True grace) The two main timings of the rapture are pretrib or post. Here is a simple explanation of the difference between the two. In Revelation 3, the Lord’s promise of deliverance from the tribulation period is very specific: “Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. I am coming quickly.” (Revelation 3:10–11a) Notice two important things about this promise. First, the Lord promises to keep His people not just from the hardships of worldwide testing but also from the hour of testing itself. What is the hour of worldwide testing? Since John only mentions one period of worldwide testing in the book of Revelation (chapters 6 –19), he must mean the tribulation period. The hour of trial comes upon all the world. This is critical. This is quantitatively distinct from the entire gamut of trials that the world faced in the church age. No visitation since the flood has engulfed the entire planet. The flood destroyed the world that then was and resurfaced the entire planet. So it will be at the end of the age. The visitations of the hour of trial, which climax with the great day of God Almighty, will turn the world to rubble and ash. Now if the hour of trial comes upon the entire planet, then there will be no way for mankind to escape that awful hour except for supernatural removal from the hour. This implies that the Lord must and will remove the church from the planet before this hour starts. This trial falls upon those that “dwell upon Earth,” in other words “the earth-dwellers.” This is a theological term that refers to those humans whose hearts and lives are wrapped up in Earth and its concerns, in contrast to those who are pilgrims and strangers on it. It refers to the exact same group of unsaved humans as terms like the unbelievers, the unrighteous, and the ungodly, but it focuses on their earthiness. Their lives are completely wrapped up in what the world has to offer. They have no interest in matters eternal or divine. The hour of trial, then, is intended to try the earth-dwellers, not the body of Christ. Any theory that claims that this hour of trial pertains to the church has tossed the plain statement of the verse. Second, notice the means of this protection: “I am coming quickly” (v. 11a). If we put these two points together, it seems that the Lord will protect His people from the time of worldwide testing by coming for them at the Rapture. True Grace Theologian Charles Ryrie provides a helpful illustration of the timing of the rapture in relation to the testing mentioned in Revelation 3: 10: As a teacher I frequently give exams. Let’s suppose that I announce an exam will occur on such and such a day at the regular class time. Then suppose I say, “I want to make a promise to students whose grade average for the semester so far is A. The promise is: I will keep you from the exam.” Now I could keep my promise to those A students this way: I would tell them to come to the exam, pass out the exam to everyone, and give the A students a sheet containing the answers. They would take the exam and yet in reality be kept from the exam. They would live through the time but not suffer the trial. This is posttribulationism: protection while enduring. But if I said to the class, “I am giving an exam next week. I want to make a promise to all the A students. I will keep you from the hour of the exam.” They would understand clearly that to be kept from the hour of the test exempts them from being present during that hour. This is pretribulationism, and this is the meaning of the promise of Revelation 3: 10. And the promise came from the risen Savior who Himself is the deliverer of the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1: 10). Think about how we use this phrase in English. Keep from a train wreck does not mean preserve in a train wreck. Keep from hell does not mean protect in hell. Keep from a trial does not mean keep safe in the trial. Keep from wrath does not mean kept safe in the wrath. God does not pour out His wrath upon his children; He chastises His children. But, His wrath is for the unsaved. And, before God pours out wrath, God takes His children out. It doesn’t make sense that God would pour out His wrath on His bride for whom He died. God’s wrath toward us was already poured out on Jesus while He was on the cross. Jesus bore God’s wrath for us. True grace. Romans 5:9 How much more then, being now justified by His blood, shall we be saved from wrath through Him. True grace. God’s wrath is always directed to unbelievers. God removed Lot before He destroyed Sodom. Abraham asked God, “Will you destroy the righteous with the wicked? (Genesis 18:23.) The angel told Lot, Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” (Genesis 19:22) So it was that when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the middle of the destruction, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot lived. Genesis 19:29. Mercy, grace always preceeds judgment. God rescues the righteous from judgment of the wicked. Before a kingdom declares war on another kingdom, first of all, what does it do? What does that kingdom do? They call the nationals home before they declare war. Remember how upset we were when we did not protect our ambassador in Benghazi or when Americans were left behind in Afghanistan? And we think God will leave His soldiers behind to face an evil antichrist much worse than radical Muslims. Our citizenship is in heaven, Paul tells the church at Philippi. We are ambassadors of Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:20). Therefore He will call us home before He declares war. Philippians 3:20, But our citizenship is in heaven, from where also we await for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice the Scripture ties citizenship in heaven with waiting for the Savior’s return. Peter began his letter by informing us of our living hope. He introduced the possibility of peace in the midst of difficult times as we embrace God-given hope, walk in holiness, and grow in our faith (1:1–2:12). Peter then exhorted his readers to hopeful living in spite of their strange life of suffering. By humbly submitting to earthly authorities and arming ourselves with endurance, we will glorify God and bring a light of hope to our otherwise dark world (2:13–4:11). In the final section, Peter comforts us in the midst of our fiery ordeal (4:12–5:14). The dramatic climax of his letter sounds like a general rallying his troops before leading them into battle. He began by reminding them of the fiery ordeal that will test and strengthen their faith (4:12-19). He then turned to the elders of the churches—and exhorted them to lead their battalions as noble examples of Christlike leadership (5:1-4). Peter then addressed those who are younger in the faith, urging them to submit to their commanders’ authority and leadership. They need to follow their examples with humility, entrusting themselves to the great Commander-in-Chief, in whose service the battle can never be lost (5:5-7). Finally, Peter sounds the battle alarm (5:8-14). He draws the army’s attention to their spiritual opponent who is planning his evil strategy behind their fiery trials (5:8). He tells the soldiers of Christ how the adversary can be defeated (5:9). He reminds us that the fierce conflict will soon be over and that we will one day emerge as victors (5:10). Like Bullet points Peter rattles off the commands. Verse 5, Clothe yourself “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. ”‬True grace‬ Verse 6, Humble yourself “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,” True grace Verse 7, Free yourself “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” True grace Verse 8, Control yourself “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Verse 9, Strengthen yourself Resist him firmly in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. Verse 10, Get restored “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” True grace Finally, he points to Christ, who will ultimately triumph and exercise dominion over all (5:11). To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. For three days and nights the two men (Tenant’s brother and doctor friend) engaged in an ongoing debate about when the funeral should occur. The doctor sat by the bedside unwilling to declare the man dead. Events finally came to a climax when the brother came to take Tennent’s body for the funeral. As they quarreled, suddenly the “corpse” opened his eyes and uttered a loud and dreadful groan. Plans for the funeral were hastily scrapped and the mourners sent home. Tennent recovered and later gave this testimony: As to dying—I found my fever increase, and I became weaker and weaker, until all at once I found myself in heaven, as I thought. I saw no shape as to the Deity, but glory all unutterable! . . . I can say, as St. Paul did, I heard and I saw things all unutterable; I saw a great multitude before this glory, apparently in the height of bliss, singing most melodiously. I was . . . about to join that great and happy multitude, when one came to me, looked me full in the face, laid his hand on my shoulder and said, “You must go back.” . . . Nothing could have shocked me more; I cried out, Lord, must I go back? With this shock I opened my eyes in this world. Paul heard great and inexpressible words, which encouraged him for the rest of his earthly life and enabled him to press onward with the gospel, despite suffering and difficulties. The same was true for William Tennent Jr. and his fellow evangelicals. They turned the world upside down because they focused on eternal realities. The Bible plainly states, “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). We don’t think of ourselves as citizens of earth going to heaven but as citizens of heaven passing through earth. The history of America—and the testimony of our own lives—reveals an incredible secret. Those who most anticipate a future in glory are the most likely to change the world here and now. I’m told the pretrib rapture doctrine causes apathy and does no earthly good. Rick Warren, a prominent pastor who led a huge church and is a best-selling author, characterizes prophecy as a “distraction” and says that anyone who lets himself get involved in distractions like studying prophecy “is not fit for the kingdom of God.” Another well-known advocate of re-envisioned Christianity, Tony Campolo, said, “Rigid Christians who believe in the possibility of Jesus’ soon return are a real problem for the entire world.” Clearly, these men express a hostility toward Bible prophecy that is disturbing. First of all, I am more concerned about doing heavenly good than earthly good. Second, the most spiritually minded workers are those who hearts, not just heads, are saturated with not just the doctrine, but the expectancy of their Lord’s near return. How could believing that the Rapture could occur at any moment cause "apathy in the church, resulting in the deterioration of our society"? It does the opposite. It tells us to work day and night, spread the gospel far and wide, oppose apostasy and awaken the church because our opportunity to do that could end at any moment! It was after this experience that William Tennant fiery champion of the mighty revival known as the Great Awakening and the ensuing drive for religious liberty and American independence. Surely the church, which is Christ’s bride, ought to be living in an attitude of expectancy and longing to be caught up to meet Him in the air. I would like to hear His return spoken of among Christians with that kind of anticipation! That must characterize any genuine spiritual awakening! Peter is his second epistle says this: 2 Peter 3:14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these things (the end), be diligent that you may be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless. The implication is that we do look for these things. This should give us a new perspective on life as we realize where everything is headed. The last words in Revelation are a spattering of admonition, commands, warnings, etc. They seem kind of disconnected, but they are held together by one repeated phrase. Look in verse 22:7. Behold, I am coming quickly! Verse 21:12 And behold, I am coming quickly, Verse 21:20 Surely, I am coming quickly.” These are the last words of Jesus to us. The final words of Jesus to His church are, Yes, I am coming quickly. The question for all of us is, Are we ready? The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.” Amen means “let it be.” The Bible ends on the note of grace. True grace. Do you think Jesus maybe has a final message for us in these verses. I take this word “quickly” to be a term, not how He will come but when He will come. I think it speaks of imminence, not immediately. Imminence means at any moment. It could be soon or it could be far away. It is a call to be ready. From our vantage point Jesus could come at any time. Notice two other related things. And the end of verse 6, things which must shortly be done or take place. And verse 10 for the time is at hand or the time is near. Five times in these verses you have the emphasis on the imminency of our Lord’s return. That Christ could come at any moment. And every generation that has read these words have been struck with that truth. There is always an excitement to visit a place we have never been to before. I think we are pre-wired this way. This is true of heaven. The Bible says God has set eternity in our hearts. There is something in us that longs for something greater than what we have in this life. I like the story of the little boy who was flying a kite. A man walks by and saw him holding on to this string. But it was a cloudy day and the kite had disappeared up into the clouds. The man looked up there and said to the little boy, “What are you doing?” The boy said, “I’m flying a kite.” The man looked up into the sky and says, “Well I can’t see it up there. How do you know it’s still there?” The little boy said, “I can feel it’s tug.” I like that because in the same way you and I know there is a heaven. We can feel it’s tug and pull. There is something in us that pulls us heavenward. Colossians 3 tells us to set our minds on things above. That is what I want to do. Our feet are on earth but our hearts are to be in heaven. Heaven should be at the core of our world view as believers. It should have a prominent place in preaching. There are nearly 300 direct references to the second coming of Christ in the gospels and epistles. That is more than double the references than salvation through the blood atonement. If God put it in His Word, it is wrong to ignore it. The message is: Jesus can come at any time. Make sure that you know Him and you are obeying His Word. A simple message but a great climax to the Bible.