Examine yourselves

2 Corinthians 13:5…Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves,

Knowing where you stand with Christ is a minute by minute obligation to a Savior that bled and died for your personal forgiveness found in Salvation of the human soul. Examination is a check and balance system for all believers to “know” where they stand at every point in their life on this side of Heaven.

The Bible teaches that some have erred or departed from their faith in Christ. Erring or departure is caused from unfaithfulness and disobedience caused from sin. If faith was an eternal blessing given from God, men would not have to examinine themselves to keep their faithfulness and obedience to Christ. The so-called blessing of faith (given from God) would automatically keep man true without need of examination.

Self examination allows the believer in Christ to “prove” his faithfulness to God and to “know” his right-standing with a Savior on a consciousness and obedience basis. To be conscious and aware to the presence of Christ in your life… belief and obedience to Christ is required. Examination allows the believer in Christ to keep himself in a constant state of the clean heart and holy lifestyle in the eyes of God.

What’s wrong with contentment and constant right-standing from faithfulness to Christ? Knowing where one stands in moral righteousness because God made you that way! Is this not a better life! A blessed new life with a clean heart! Freed from the guilt of sin! Ashamed of the old life. Obedient to God with no desire to go back! Staying on the path by the power of God. Keeping constant belief in Christ requires personal examination from time to time! Examination allows one to see what’s needed to stay true in the personal walk with Jesus. A child of God must live, act, and behave like a child of God. Must keep faith in the person of Christ, in the power of Christ, and in the presence of the Christ who is Savior and Redeemer!

Examine yourselves from time to time… to see whether you be in the faith. Keep yourselves right with God. Be blessed!

Christian Brothers and Sisters around the globe...

Do you have a testimony about what Jesus has done for you? Please share with us so we can share with others. This site goes around the Globe for the cause of Christ. God is behind this minstry 100%...with power. Let's glorify His holy name.

What is the example of a believer in Christ?

1 Timothy 4:12…but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

The example of the words of a believer (how a believer talks) are not corrupt communication, profanity, or cursing. Sweet water and bitter water don’t flow from the same fountain. Even Jesus said out of abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A clean heart brings forth clean words and a clean tongue.

The example of the conversation of a believer is “the manner of life” or “lifestyle” of those who accept Christ as personal Lord and Saviour. Lifestyle can also pertain to sonship, parenthood, domestic life, social life, business life, religious life, etc. Believer’s in Christ live right in the eyes of God because the believing heart is made clean and holy by the Grace of God. Therefore, the manner of of living regardless of human status is made clean and holy.

Charity is the spiritual inclination of the believing heart. Charity is the love manifested when a believer in Christ gives from the heart. The example of charity is recognized in the eyes of God and is a witness for Christ to the unbelieving world.

The example of the spirit of the believing heart is an example of one who pays full attention to Christ and things that pertain to the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. The natural man doesn’ t know the things of the Spirit of God or Christ because they are foolishness to him. The Spirit man doesn’t do the things that he did in the old life before Christ. A spirit man “quits” his meanness. This example of the believer ”proves” what is acceptable to God.

The example of faith is the believers faithful life to Christ. Faithfulness to Christ proves rightstanding with God and the clean heart. Faithfulness to Christ allows God’s Spirit to work within the believing heart. God’s witnesses are faithful and true and eligible to testisfy and preach. This kind of example in the eyes of God also makes a statement to the unbelieving world, “The action of a child of God speaks louder than words”. That’s why the clean and holy heart (a gift from God) are so important.

The example of purity can only be manifested through the work of the Holy Spirit in the believing soul. Man cannot purify the human heart without the saving Grace of Salvation. Heart purity has nothing to do with human maturity or human growth. Purity is given freely from God when the believing heart is cleansed from sin and unrighteosuness. Purity is manifested in the life and the example of the child of God. The best example of heart purity I know of is when every sin of the past is forgiven and the Old Adam is crucified just like Christ. Newness of life is thus found because the believing heart is made clean and holy in the new birth. Heart purity breaks the bondage of sin. The moral make-up of and unbeliever is purified through belief in the truth about the person of Christ.

Being an example of a believer in Christ is a necessary tool to win the lost.

1 Timothy 4:12…but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Eternal Life or Eternal Damnation?

The clean heart (made clean by the redemptive work of Christ) makes man eligible to receive Eternal Life. The clean heart is proven in the life of obedience to God. Man’s act of faith brings in the Grace of God which thus enacts holiness of character; the divine nature; and the new birth that are found after every sin is forgiven by the Grace and Mercy of God found in a Saviour. The biblical term for this Divine Operation is termed Justification by Grace. Holiness of heart begins when the human soul is made clean by Justification found in the Grace of God. Only the clean and holy heart makes man eligible to receive “Eternal Life”. Eternal Life does begin in this life as long as the heart of man remains clean and holy. The Bible says, “Without holiness no man shall see the Lord”. Eternal Death (damnation upon the human soul in this life) is God’s Judgment for those whose die in sin and unholiness of heart. The condition of the sinner’s heart is not clean or holy and thus not entitled to Eternal Life with God Almighty…in this life or on the other side in Heaven.

More Biblical evidence on the Rapture of the Church

The Rapture is a believer's "calling upward to meet Christ in the air". This upward call was taught by the Apostles Peter, John, and Paul. This upward call known as the Rapture of the Church is the believer's deliverance and escape from God's Future Judgment and Wrath that takes place on Earth during the Great Tribulation of (7) years. Members of the body of Christ (the Church) "will not" go through Tribulation and Wrath on Earth as taught in the book of John's future Revelation. The Rapture is God's blessing upon believer's in Christ... at the end of this Age. The Rapture is God's final Judgment upon the Church which calls those both, who are dead and alive... to meet with Christ in the air. This union in the air is the child of God's escape from God's future Judgment.

The revelation of the Rapture comes from the Holy Spirit's inward work and testimony of Jesus Christ to the human soul. The Holy Spirit prepares the heart of a child of God for the Rapture. The Rapture became a New Testament revelation that dealt specifically with the Church (the spiritual body of Christ) that Jesus purchased with His own blood. Acts 20:28. The Rapture is an operation of God's plan for both Jews and Gentiles that flowed from the death of a Savior. The Rapture is an operation of God that torn down the entity of the Law for Israel only; and ushered in Grace and the New Testament to both Jew and Gentile. This miraculous work of God's Plan formed the Church, the spiritual body of believers worldwide. Within God's plan this entity was a creation of the Church which is primarily believers in Christ that are spiritually united with God through the Spirit and faith in Christ. The believer's union with the Spirit of God is what reveals freedom and deliverance from sin and the future temporal world that will perish according to Old Testament Prophecy.

John's revelation given by the Spirit of God (after the death of a Savior) strongly teaches about the Rapture of the Church and implies being "called out" or "caught up" to meet Christ in the air. The language of the following verse stated by the Apostle John says,"Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter"...

Rev. 4:1-2...After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

Students must consider that John was exiled to the Island of Patmos as God revealed the writing of the book of Revelation to John's heart and thinking. John was exiled because of his profession as a preacher and confession of Christ as personal Lord and Savior. John was an Apostle ordained by Christ during the earthly ministry of Christ. John's heart and life was liberated by Christ (after the death and resurrection) when he was baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire on the day of Pentecost. From that point on John boldly preached and stood for the power of a resurrected Christ until he was exiled to Patmos where God revealed to John's heart what would take place "after" the Rapture of Church.

Only the first (4) chapters of John's future Revelation deal with the Church. It must be understood that God takes His spiritual body of believers in Christ out of a world that will suffer and perish during the Great Tribulation. It must also be understood that Israel and Israel's rejection of the promised Messiah are the primarily focus of John's future Revelation. Only the first (4) chapters of John's Revelation deal with the Church. Afterwards (after the Rapture of the Church) Tribulation, Wrath, and Judgment takes place and the Church and all of its members never go through such devastation. wrath, and Judgment. The Church escapes what is taught in the remaining 18 chapters of John's Revelation. John walked with Christ during his Earthly ministry and preached the Kingdom message to Israel. That message was rejected by Israel. John dedicated his life to preaching New Testament Grace to both Jews and Gentiles "after" the death of Christ. That was ushered in after Israel rejected the Kingdom Message and their promised King. After John was exiled to Patmos he was given Divine Revelation of things that were to come upon both the Church and Israel. John wrote as God revealed to his heart...

Rev. 4:2...Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter

Come up hither (related to being caught up to meet with Christ in the Rapture) and being showed things that would take place hereafter. Hereafter what? After the Church is taken out (Raptured) to escape Judgment and Wrath promised to come upon Israel. God will confirm such revelation and truth to the holy and studious heart. Enjoy your studies.

YouTube video teachings by Hubert T. Lindsey

These selections (79 videos) of YouTube videos were made by a dear Brother from the Chicago area during the Winter if 2011. Thank you Brother! The videos (79) were segments of preaching taken from the Church at Birmingham and the Churches on Trial radio broadcast in the late 80's. The Hubert Lindsey Bible library is growing because...the hand of God is behind this ministry with power for the cause of Christ! Glory... Hallelujah! Check out the YouTube playlist (little triangle shaped object at bottom right of player) and view all 79 videos made for you the viewer.
 

One of the strongest verses in the Bible concerning the Rapture of the Church

2 Peter 3:9-10...the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to "us-ward", not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come...

First...The Day of the Lord will come (Judgement and Wrath upon an unbelieving world)
Second...God is longsuffering to us-ward now
Third...Us-ward is "us"...saved members of the body of Christ that will escape Tribulation
Forth...God does not want members of the body of Christ to perish during the Great Tribulation. The Rapture or the calling up of the Church is God's Provision of escape from Great Tribulation
Fifth...Those who perish are those who do not repent now and accept Christ as personal Lord and Saviour
Sixth...That sinners (through the longsuffering of God now) would repent and accept Christ thus escaping the Tribulation by the Rapture of the Church...before God's Wrath and Judgment comes on the great and terrible day of the Lord's return

The Rapture of the Church is a blessing of God's Grace that allows believers (us-ward) to be caught up to meet with Christ in the air. This calling up will include those dead in Christ and those who are alive. These people in the Rapture will be translated like Enoch in the twinkling of an eye. Right now God long-suffers toward us-ward, before the Rapture of the Church. Through preaching now God provides repentance and Salvation for men and women and is willing that none should perish.

This very strong verse from the Bible on the Rapture of the Church was taken from Saint Peter's second Epistle chapter 3 from the ninth and tenth verse.