JUDGMENT
The truth can be split into four departments: Doctrines, Instructions, Judgment and Divine Promises. This page includes articles that talk about Judgment.
Judgment is the concept of, “What do I get if I worship God, and what happens to me if I refuse?"
BEWARE OF WHAT YOU SOW IN LIFE
The Bible has talked a lot about how both people and institutions, good or bad, will reap what they sow. Reaping what we sow in life is as true as reaping what we sow in our farms. We can’t sow oranges and reap apples, or sow wheat and reap tares. Similarly, we can’t sow wickedness and reap righteousness, or the other way around (Matthew 7:17-18). “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7 - see also Galatians 6:8, Job 4:8 and Proverbs 22:8).
You can’t get more practical with reaping what you sow than the story of Haman, Mordecai and Esther. In Esther 3-7, we see that Haman had been promoted by King Ahasueurus, or King Xerxes, to the extent that all the princes, princesses and everybody under them bowed to him. However, Mordecai didn’t because of his fear in God. Therefore, Haman grew angrier, and eventually he even wanted to kill him with gallows he’d prepared. However, if we read the story, we see that, with God’s urgent assistance, Esther managed to work out something that gradually led to the exaltation of Mordecai, and Haman’s death, on where? His own gallows that he’d prepared for Mordecai!
David the Psalmist even touched on this matter: “He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.” (Psalms 7:15-16).
In these last days, both Jesus, and his children, and Satan the Devil and his children are reaping what they’ve sowed. Jesus Christ has been crowned King over God’s Glorious Government (Isaiah 9:6-7, Psalms 21:3, etc). Satan the Devil couldn’t do anything to him, apart from kill him with the Pharisees, and then he was resurrected (Revelation 1:18). Satan the Devil has deceived billions of people (2 Corinthians 4:3-4), and he is reaping what he has sowed now. He is watching his institutions, his ideas, and what drives his thoughts die in front of his eyes. Jesus Christ is trampling on everything like people would do to grapes in a basin (Isaiah 63:1-6, 9-14, Revelation 19:11-21, etc). The same person that Satan the Devil persecuted is the same person that is killing all his institutions, and will end up killing him in the end (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10).
Institutions as well, in these last days, are also going to be reaping what they sow. Churches have sowed wickedness, hypocrisy, adultery (spiritual, and all other kinds of stuff, and they are going to reap destructions and the adequate consequences that go with it. “Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.” (Hosea 10:13). They wouldn’t escape anything God throws at them (Ezekiel 38:19-20).
Sowing good seeds in God’s business, the Kingdom of God in these last days, is like investing money in a good stock market. It doesn’t fail you, but your blessings multiply (Matthew 6:19-21). God business is stable, reliable, and is prophesied to succeed (Matthew 13:31-32, Psalms 145:10-13, Daniel 2:44, etc). When we invest in God’s business, God can then bail us out of various things that happen (Luke 16:9). He shows love and reliability to those that keep his commandments (Revelation 14:13, Exodus 20:6, etc). “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.” (Hosea 10:12).
However, some people think that when they sow righteousness, the rewards must come immediately. That isn’t correct, though. We will certainly reap what we so, but we don’t decide the time. “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Galatians 6:9). David, at a time, was looking at the wicked, and envying them (Psalms 73:3-7, 16-17). We have to understand that even if they are happy today, not tomorrow. Same goes with institutions. The rewards may come slow for righteous ones, but they are sure, steady, and are blessings only righteous ones can get (John 14:27, 16:33, etc).
God makes sure in this world that every person reaps what he sows. “I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” (Jeremiah 17:10 - see also Jeremiah 32:19). The wicked will not escape from whatever they have sowed. “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out.” (Numbers 32:23 - see also Psalms 2:4, Proverbs 1:24-31 and Job 15:35). Therefore, it is very important that we understand why we should sow righteousness to reap blessings. If we forsake God, God will forsake us, but if we seek God, he will seek us (1 Chronicles 28:9 and 2 Chronicles 15:1-2). When we understand this, we will know how to sow good seeds, and reap a righteous tree.
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WHY SHOULD WE LOVE GOD?
The Bible has talked a lot about loving God. “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5 - see also Deuteronomy 10:12, Matthew 22:37 and Mark 12:30). “He hath shewed thee, O Man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8). However, has anybody ever asked themselves why the Bible has instructed us to do so? What are the benefits?
Well, before we can get into the that, how loving God works should be made clear. Loving God is defending his principles, and being of help/support at all times. It means being submissive, and loyal, the way Hezekiah was to God (Isaiah 38:3, 2 Chronicles 31:2-21). Building bases of faith for him by raising families, tending relationships in the faith, all with a willing and cheerful heart, is loving God, with all your heart, soul, and might.
One important reason for loving God is that our relationship with him, and our race of salvation, becomes easier. After all, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed? (Amos 3:3). It was the reason why Moses had advised the Israelites to stop being stiff-necked (Deuteronomy 10:16, 9:6 - see also Jeremiah 4:4). The relationship with Jesus Christ and God Almighty was very smooth and calm because Jesus Christ loved God Almighty (John 4:34, 5:30, 6:38, 10:15, 18, 17, 12:49,50, 14:28, etc).
When we love God, he protects us our space and our interests. “O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.” (Psalms 31:23 - see also Psalms 37:28, 34:9 and 84:10-11). Because Joshua and Caleb wanted to support God by being enthusiastic about going to conquer the land (Numbers 13:1-33, 14:6-9), God made sure that they would inherit the land (Deuteronomy 31:7), and still be strong, to0 (Joshua 14:10-13).
When God wants to give a blessing, he will remember us. Zacharias and Elisabeth were old, stricken in years, and had walked in God’s ways blamelessly (Luke 1:5-7). Because of their good behaviour, when it was time to bring the forerunner of Jesus Christ, the angels remembered them, and gave it to them as a blessing. God doesn’t forget the good work that we have done towards him. “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minster.” (Hebrews 6:10).
But, most importantly, in these last days, the Kingdom of God has been set up, and freedom has been gifted to all of humanity (Revelation 12:7-12). It is a project that has been set up (Matthew 13:31-32), and just like a farm, it requires workers. Anybody who loves God, and the Kingdom of God, and supports it (Matthew 6:33, 10:42), invests in in (Matthew 6:19-21), by raising their families by its principles (Deuteronomy 6:6-7), and tending their marriages and relations with others with it, therefore creating a base where the Kingdom of God can thrive and have a stand, is going to be remember by God, and be blessed heavily for it. “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8 - see also Psalms 1:1-3, 92:12-14).
It’s very important that we understand the reasons for loving God. If we are open to him, and we defend his principles, God will remember us, and save us from our own side of trouble, and he will support us. “In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.” (Deuteronomy 30:16).
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WHY SHOULD WE REPENT?
To repent means to feel enough remorse to change your ways or former path on something. Repentance in Christianity is purposeful in two ways: it is an essential step to starting our worship with God, and being a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 6:3-4), and to correct an act that made us stray (1 Peter 2:25). However, what is in our sins that we should repent of?
First of all, we have to understand the offence. The origin of sin on this earth was from Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:1-6), 16-19). However, it is not just about them, because that offense that they’d committed, of disobedience, is repeated by everybody in some form, simply because of our sin (Romans 7:7-25). The level of sin some people have, and the amount they enjoy and willingly do that sin, differs from person to person. The Israelites were deep in their sin (Isaiah 64:5-6, Jeremiah 8:4-6), and they weren’t very interesting in changing. However, in Galatians 6:1, it talks about a man who wants to repent, but is just a little weak and requires some assistance.
One big reason why we need to repent is because our salvation requires repentance. That’s also been considered being the narrow way (Matthew 7:13-14), which can only be entered when we leave our former ways behind, selling all we have (Mark 10:17-25 - explained in the article, “The Hidden Treasure”). We can only qualify to have salvation when we believe that our former ways were bad. When we convince ourselves that God’s ways are right (Psalms 145:17), and our former ways were bad, then we have the motivation and understanding to change them, because we don’t want to have anything to do with them. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9 - see also Deuteronomy 4:39 and Luke 18:9-14).
Another thing that is at stake if we don’t repent is our reputation. We don’t want to be known by God as people who don’t want to glorify his name, or advance his principles. It’s the reason we have to live according to God principles in the presence of our spiritual neighbours (Matthew 5:16, Romans 14:15). “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16). David’s heart, “smote him”, because he regretted the census against God’s will, and thought that would bring down his reputation.
We should also repent because the Kingdom has been set up in these last days, and it is currently the Judgment of the Living (Isaiah 2:2, (John 12:48, Psalms 96:13). The truth is being preached by prophets that God has sent to tell people it is time to repent (Acts 17:30-31, 11:18, 20:21, Jeremiah 3:15, 7:13, 25:4-6, Isaiah 58:1-2, Matthew 24:14). If we do not heed to that call, we will be swept and overtaken by the vengeance that God is performing in these last days (Luke 21:22).
Furthermore, people that are unrepentant will not be spared by God, because sin isn’t accepted by God. God warned Cain that he shouldn’t let sin take over, but Cain didn’t mind, and he was punished as a result (Genesis 4:1-12). Bethsaida and Chorazin were judged by Jesus Christ because they were unrepentant (Matthew 11:21-22). We should never be like King Rehoboam, who never firmly repented of his acts (2 Chronicles 2:12-14), or like the nation of Israel, whose righteousness was as a morning cloud that would pass away eventually (Hosea 6:4-6). Rather, we should repent of our sins, changing our ways, and remain in our new lives till the end.
It is very important that we understand why we should repent. God is currently open to our repentance, but it won't be like that forever (Job 36:9-12, Isaiah 55:6-7). St.Peter made some statements about this to the congregation in front of him, advising them and people of the future to repent, turning to Christ and selling our old ways. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:19-21).
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THE ACT OF GOD
There are three acts we need to know about - an act of God, an act of Satan, and an act of ourselves. God doesn't cause various misfortunes that may come upon our lives. “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.” (James 1:13).
Satan the Devil is the cause of the confusion and calamities that come upon us in the last days. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” - 1 Peter 5:8. He doesn’t warn us before doing things; therefore, we can’t predict when he comes. But that doesn’t mean we can’t avoid him. “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” - (James 4:7).
An act of ourselves is based on free-will. God gave us free will, to see who his real children were. Forced service, or robots, isn’t what he wanted. He wanted true, voluntary service. And God allows certain things to happen for him to confirm that (James 1:2-4, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Zechariah 13:8-9, etc).
But, what is an act of God? An act of God always comes with warnings. “Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity.” - (Proverbs 17:26). But, that always comes with something else - we can’t reverse his wrath. (Proverbs 1:24-30) And God warned his children that he’d be angry in these last days (Zephaniah 1:14-18, Isaiah 26:20-21, etc). “For the LORD shall rise as in Mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.” - (Isaiah 28:21).
For example, God used Noah to warn people of what was going to happen (2 Peter 2:5). But nobody took the warning, and when the flood came, and the door was shut, it was too late. Nobody could convince God to open the door. God’s wrath can’t be reversed.
There’s also the story of Lot, and how people didn’t listen to Lot’s warnings, until God came and rained fire from heaven (Genesis 19: 1-30). Moses had warned Pharaoh, but he didn’t accept, causing the ten plagues to happen (Exodus 7-11). And many other examples. But, like Isaiah 28:21, in these last days, God has given warnings to us, through the Bible and the saints, the pressmen of God. ( Matthew 24:31- 14, Isaiah 52:17, Joel 2:28-29, etc). If we listen to the warnings, we’ll be saved by God. But if we refuse to listen, make light of it (Matthew 22:4-7), we will be overtaken by events, and God won’t do anything about that. We have to be careful, be watchful (Luke 21:34-36), and know the difference between an act of God, Satan the Devil, and even ourselves, because many people pray to God for deliverance, when they cooked the situation for themselves, and they are reaping what they sow (Galatians 6:7-8, Job 4:8, Proverbs 22:8, Lamentations 3:39,40, Jeremiah 30:15, etc).
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RAGE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
Rage is an attribute that is built into the systems of some people. When somebody offends them, they just don’t have the ability to control their anger, and they make regretful decisions resulting from that. However, is rage an attribute that is to be desired or contained by any true Christian?
There are some instances in the BIble of people who raged. For example, King Uzziah was a God-fearing king, and God strengthened and expanded his kingdom. However, pride soon got to him, and in 2 Chronicles 26:16-21, he attempted to burn incense in God’s temple, a ritual that was only for priests. When Azariah and eighty other priests attempted to stop him from doing this, King Uzziah got mad at them, and God punished him by making leprosy appear on his forehead, which not only prevented him from entering the Lord’s temple, but it also meant that he couldn’t rule the land of Israel any more; his son Jotham ruled the land for him.
In Genesis 4:3-5, Cain and Abel each brought offerings to God: Cain gave some of the plants that he had harvested, and Abel gave some of his sheep. However, God rejected Cain’s offering and accepted Abel’s offering, which made Cain mad, and despite God’s attempt to lead Cain away from sin, in Genesis 4:8, Cain murdered his brother, and God told him to live a wandering life, where the land would yield less crops for him than before.
Rage is clearly a negative emotion, and it is condemned in Galatians 5:19-21 and Colossians 3:8-10. But why is it something we should avoid? Well, it’s mainly because anger can cause strife (Proverbs 15:18; 29:22). It can sometimes leave us in a sinful state, which is why we aren’t allowed to pray if we’re angry (1 Timothy 2:8)
However, if you look carefully at all the examples that I’ve given, you can see that they talk about sin. Great anger can cause even righteous people to sin against God. However, righteous people can get angry for good cause sometimes.
For example, parents are allowed to get angry to discipline their children (Proverbs 22:15 and 23:13-14), and in a similar manner, God has used his anger to punish those who sinned against him.
In Numbers 16:46-49, after the children of Israel supported Korah, a person who rebelled against Moses, instead of supporting Moses and Aaron, the Lord killed fourteen thousand people in a plague; and in Lamentations 2:1-8; Jeremiah had poetically described how God, in his righteous anger, had utterly destroyed Judah through the Babylonian conquest.
Furthermore, God is also angry in these last days. The only reason the period we live in is called the last days in the first place is because God will destroy this world when the period ends to destroy all sinners (Isaiah 13:9). Many people in this world have incited God’s anger by abandoning him for their inventions and God will make sure that they are destroyed for that (Psalms 106:29).
However, God isn’t waiting to just punish them with death. He is punishing them right now by causing their inventions to fail. For example, modern leadership methods, like democracy, are failing, because children are starting to rule now (Isaiah 3:4), and eventually, no one will want to be involved in leadership (Isaiah 3:6-7). Plus, all the inventions the world is trying to create to solve its problems will fail, because those problems will only get worse, as Jesus said in Matthew 24:6-7.
Now, let’s look at what Ephesians 4:26-31 has to say about anger, because there is a lot that those verses can teach us. For example, verse 26 reads: “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” We can’t bear grudges against others; instead, we should forgive others and use our reasoning to control our rage (Proverbs 19:11). Also, verse 31 reads: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.” This isn’t actually all wrath (because as I said before, it is possible to be angry without sinning), but rather, the wrath of man, because the wrath of man is against God’s purpose (James 1:20).
Therefore, we should avoid people who do such rage (Proverbs 22:24-25) and listen to the advice of verse 32 of Ephesians 4: “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” This is the kind of character that we are supposed to have as children of God (Colossians 3:12-14).
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REVENGE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
Revenge is when we do evil as a response to evil. When somebody offends us, in order to satisfy our hatred that we’ve built towards the person, we do evil back to them. However, is revenge a righteous deed, and who is qualified to do it?
There are examples in the Bible of people who had taken revenge. For example, in 2 Samuel 2:18-23, Abner killed Asahel, Joab’s brother. When Joab found out about this, he became angry, and he killed Abner (2 Samuel 3:22-27). David then cursed Joab and lamented for Abner because of this (2 Samuel 3:28-39), and Joab was eventually murdered (1 Kings 2:5-6, 33-34).
Another example is in 1 Kings 19:1-7. Previously, in 1 Kings 18:1-40, Elijah the prophet killed the 450 prophets of Baal after they’d failed to prove that their god is superior to Elijah’s. When Jezebel heard about this, she’d wanted to kill Elijah, to pay him back for the, “evil”, that he’d done, though God was completely on his side, simple because he wanted to prove that the gods of Baal were powerless, being man-made.
Some people have the tendency to take revenge on the people that persecute them, which is a natural phenomenon in places where righteousness doesn’t prevail. However, we are not allowed to take vengeance against people who persecute us in the service of God. David, for example, after committing adultery with Bathsheba, had had his first son killed by God and his house scattered. For such reasons, when Shimei was cursing David, the King of Israel, Abishai offered to cut off the man’s head. However, David refused to give him permission, because he knew that it was persecution, punishment in that case, that wasn’t to be paid back with evil. There is also Jesus Christ, who did not take revenge on the Pharisees on earth, but let himself be killed by them (Isaiah 53:7, 1 Peter 2:23). And we must do the same (1 Peter 4:19, Matthew 5:38-41). The apostles who came to be successors of Jesus Christ were no different (Acts 5:41-42).
The only person that is qualified to take revenge in this world is God Almighty. “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” (Romans 12:19 - see also Leviticus 19:18). God is qualified to take revenge because he is not a sinner, and is the owner of all human beings (Isaiah 43:21, 45:7). For example, in Judges 15:1-20, God took vengeance on the Philistines using Samson. In 1 Samuel 15:1-3, God gave an assignment to King Saul to take vengeance on the Amalekites because of what they’d done to the Israelites, by coming from behind to take the old people, ones who couldn’t run as fast (Exodus 17:8, Deuteronomy 25:17-19). And in these last days, God is taking vengeance on his enemies. “God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth: the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserved wrath for his enemies.” (Nahum 1:2 - see also Isaiah 47:1-15, Jeremiah 46:10, 20:12, 10:10, Isaiah 13:13).
One thing that must be pointed out, though, is that discipline isn’t revenge. A parent disciplining a disobedient and stubborn child isn’t taking revenge on the child, because you’re not paying, “evil for evil”. Revenge is when somebody is doing evil to somebody simply to satisfy the level of hatred that that person has for that person, mostly built because of something that that person had done that happened to be offensive. Parents should discipline their children, and train them well (Deuteronomy 6:6-7, Proverbs 22:6, 15, 23:14, Ephesians 6:4). God does the same to his children, to train them in the faith (Hebrews 12:1-13).
If we don’t want to fall into God’s vengeance, we have to stay on his side (Jeremiah 10:24-27, Isaiah 59:20). God isn’t taking vengeance on everyone. He is only taking vengeance on his enemies, and those are ones that have done him evil by taking his institutions, and using them for their own gains (Joel 3:5-8). A part of staying on God’s side is not taking revenge on others. “Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.” (Proverbs 24:29 - see also Proverbs 20:22, 1 Thessalonians 5:15, 1 Peter 3:8-9 and Romans 12:17).
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UNDERSTANDING GOD'S WARS AND BATTLES
A big part of the Bible has been about wars and battles, some minor but some brutal. Men like Joshua and David are well known in the Bible for the battles that they’d fought in God’s favour. However, we have to understand the purpose of God's battles, so that we can be aware that God, though being a peaceful and humble person (Job 33:27-28, John 3:16, etc), he is a man of war (Exodus 15:3).
Most battles that occur only happen for two purposes: battles can occur when a nation does something offensive to another nation, and that nation wants to react, or when one nation wants more land, and wants to conquer their surrounding lands to beef up the powers of the kingdom, both physically and economically.
There are many examples in the Bible of wars and battles that God has fought. For example, in Genesis 14:19-20, Abraham recruited 318 men and went to battle the King of Sodom and Gomorrah. With an army as small as his, he actually managed to defeated them. But, it wasn’t from their power. God had been in charge of the battle (Genesis 14:20).
Another example is with Joshua, because in Joshua 5:13-15, God sent an angel dressed in armour and with a sword to help Joshua know that this was God’s battle, and not Joshua’s. In Joshua 10, God made sure that the sun didn’t set until his battle was done, as he was the one fighting for the Israelites (Joshua 10:14).
There’s also David, another famous man of war. He defeated the remaining nations that Joshua hadn’t done yet, finishing it off with the conquering of the Jebusites in Jerusalem, and setting up the capital of his kingdom there. However, he always gave recognition to God, like in 2 Samuel 5:20: The LORD has broken through mine enemies, like a breakthrough of water.” (NKJV).
In these last days, God is fighting the biggest battle that he will ever fight, the Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty (Revelation 16:14). This battle is against spirituality in these last days, and he is using the beast as his army (Joel 2:1-11, Revelation 17:16-17, 9:7, 9, etc). His battle axe is Jesus Christ (Jeremiah 51:20-23), and the saints are the pressmen that are telling people that a spiritual war is going on, and we have to take sides (Joshua 24:15). Every wall that is standing in these last days is going to fall (Ezekiel 38:19-20). Those walls are the ideas that have been controlling the world, and the principalities that have been ruling the world. Everything is going to be brought under the feet of Jesus Christ, the King and Commander of this war (Revelation 19:11-21, Isaiah 63:1-6, 9-14), so that it can be handed back to God, so that he will be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).
However, God isn’t the only one battling against iniquity. We as righteous ones, at our own level, have to fight our own wars and battles. We have to conquer our hearts, and anything that might bring us out of the faith (Hebrews 12:1, Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Ephesians 4:17-32, Romans 1:28-32, 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, etc). Anybody who doesn’t believe in the faith isn't on our side, but is our enemy (Luke 14:26, 1 Corinthians 5:11). We should never be overcome with iniquity (Romans 12:21), but we should be as bold as a lion (Proverbs 28:1). We should be as harmless as doves, but as wise as serpents (Matthew 10:16).
It’s very important that we understand battles and wars in the spiritual sense. God may seem very kind, but we have to also understand his side of war, which is both ruthless and unchanged. “Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.” (Psalms 24:8).
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LORD, WHERE IS MY BLESSING?
Many Christians have begun to wonder where God’s blessings are; it’s as if He’s stopped giving them. When people set up a business, and God doesn’t provide them surplus money to set it up, or all their neighbours live in bigger houses and drive flashier cars, it’s as if God hasn’t remembered to bless them.
In this article, we’re going to use the Bible to understand how God’s blessings work and how we can avoid feeling disappointed in God and losing our faith.
Firstly, we need to know that God Almighty does not operate based on what we think, expect or desire. If we set up our lives so we can compete with others, and achieve higher, we can’t expect that God will also follow with that and restrict His blessings to what will advance our own desires. His ways are above ours (Isaiah 55:8-11), and He would prefer that we understand what He wants and contribute to it (Matthew 10:42, Romans 12:1, etc.).
Moreover, Christians shouldn’t be expecting that God bless them with honour, glory and riches in this world, so much that they are above everyone else, because that is what unbelievers seek, too; and if what we seek for is the same as what unbelievers seek for, then how are we different from them? “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14; see also 1 thessalonians 5:4-8). Jesus Christ spoke about this in Matthew 6:25-32, and he left us with an important piece of advice: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33).
So what point are we making? The point is that we shouldn’t tie God’s blessings to what will make us achieve what we want; rather, we should see them as tools God graciously gives us to build and enhance our service to Him, and therefore be His true children. For example, long life and a good family are blessings from God (Psalms 91:16, Psalms 127:3, 128:3, etc.), and when we have them, our worship to God is enhanced; our service becomes more fruitful.
This disappointment people are beginning to have in God, because He isn’t giving them what they want, is partially created by the teachings of false pastors. There are many pastors in this world who make God look like someone who is solely interested in giving you the desires of your heart. Now, the Bible does tell us that God will give His children good things (Psalms 84:11, 34:10, etc.) and it goes farther to tell us that God will give the desires of our hearts (Psalms 37:4). But we should understand that such promises are made on the basis that we will not love the world (1 John 2:15-17) and only be asking God what we know He is interested in as well. But false pastors will quote Psalms 37:4 and Psalms 84:11 regardless of who you are or your relationship with God.
It is common human behavior to forget about the good others have done for you and just think about what you can do for yourself, how you can enrich yourself and make your life pleasurable. But God Almighty remembers everything He’s done for us, and He expects that we show gratitude. “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18; also read Ephesians 5:20, Psalms 35:18, 69:30).
The story of Israel is a good example of understanding this. God did something exceptionally spectacular for the Israelites; He humbled an entire nation just to free them (Exodus 19:4-6) and He gave them ways of living that elevated their status above the peoples around them. In other words, He uplifted them.
This was a big blessing. But the Israelites didn’t act like they were heavily blessed. Instead of showing gratitude and appreciation, they were like, “Okay, you’ve saved us; but what’s next?” This is why they rejected Him (1 Samuel 8:7-8, Ezekiel 16:8-63). Because they cared more about their own pleasures than God’s desires for them (Romans 10:3), when they were in the wilderness, they did more complaining than thanksgiving and service (Exodus 16, Numbers 14, 16, 21:4-9, etc.). They wondered where God was, and what blessings He had, forgetting all that He’d done for them.
It is important that we “count our blessings”. There are things we may take for granted that other people can’t taste of. For example, many people live in countries with war and distress; if we don’t live in such a country, that’s a blessing.
Furthermore, if we have a good family - obedient children and a submissive wife that comply with God’s laws - then that is a big blessing, because how many people can boast of that today? And if we have a job that gives us time to serve God and still support ourselves, then that is a blessing, too.
Now, let’s go back to a point we made earlier: Christians shouldn’t share the same goals as those who don’t know God. We’ll look at those blessings that only the children of God can get; and, it should be noted that these are the blessings God is most interested in giving, because they lead us to Him most effectively. Therefore, these are the blessings Christians should seek most earnestly.
The wisdom of God is one of such big blessings. With the wisdom of God, we can protect ourselves from the consequences of ignorance (Proverbs 18:10), and we can offer God quality service. The Bible makes it clear that the wisdom of God is a very precious thing (Proverbs 2:1-6, 8:10-11), so as a Christian, we should be seeking that. King Solomon did this exact thing in 1 Kings 3:3-15, because he knew the value of it. He didn’t search for riches, or glory, as most humans would do.
And the Bible makes us know that if we pray for wisdom, God will give it to us. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5). King Solomon also said in Proverbs 20:6, “For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.”
Going through persecution is also a blessing, and while that may not make sense - I mean, why should persecution be a blessing - consider this: most people in this world don’t suffer because they love God. Therefore, God is not involved in it. But if we suffer for righteousness, it means that God has put us on the right track, which is a blessing. After all, the BIble makes it clear that Christians must go through persecution (2 Timothy 3:12, Acts 14:22, etc.) so when we see it happening, it means God is with us. St. Peter once said, “But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” (1 Peter 3:14, 4:13).
Vision is another example. To have vision is to be able to see the future, and know how the world will change in God’s hands. God Almighty gives this ability to people as a blessing. “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. (Psalms 25:14). “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7). For example, in Genesis 41, Joseph was able to see the future of the chief baker and the chief butler, and even the future of Egypt, with the famines. For this reason, Joseph could plan how to manage the resources of Egypt, so they wouldn’t starve to death.
We should seek such a blessing in our own time because with that, we can understand the fate of the world. The world will pass away (1 John 2:17, Matthew 24:35, etc.), and with vision, we can have a better idea of how that process will finish, and we can interpret the events in our time to prevent being overtaken by what Jesus Christ is currently doing as King (Luke 21:34-36).
Jesus Christ promised us that on top of these blessings, God has promised eternal life (Matthew 19:27-30, Luke 18:29-30, etc.). “And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.” (1 John 2:25). And this blessing goes to those who have proven themselves worthy in this life (Revelation 7:9-10 - those who hold palm branches in their hands).
In summary, God’s blessings are things that enhance our worship and service to Him. We must always remember that God created us so we could serve Him. “This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.” (Isaiah 43:21). Therefore, we shouldn’t be seeking the blessings that God isn’t interested in, but will enhance our own physical lives; rather, we should seek the blessings that will bring us closer to God and to eternal life.