Monday, May 05, 2008

Does God Shorten Life for Believers who are Disobedient?

I have known more than one Christian who I know is in heaven who God had to remove from the earth to preserve their eternal soul. I know it's a hard teaching and I won't give names to those people here. But if you think about it for a little while you can put names and faces on the thesis.

God is merciful and long suffering but he also knows our hearts and will not allow us to stay comfortable in our sin in disobedience. He will remove us bodily from the earth, shorten our lives, if you will, kill us to save our souls.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hand's of an angry God.

Here's my Biblical Basis for this thesis.. To the questioner on the previous post, I hope this helps.

Acts 5 mentions Ananias and Sapphira, who died as a result of their sin. I know it's not popular, but I believe they went to heaven in spite of the fact God Killed them.

Deuteronomy 32:51-52, “Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel. Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel.” Moses’ life was shortened because of disobedience to God.

1 Corinthians 5:5, “To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

1 Corinthians 11:28-30, “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.” That means DEAD

1 John 5:16, “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.”

Fear God and Live

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I understand the scriptures from which you quote. I was brought up to fear God, but also to love Him and love others as He has loved me.
If God were to kill people to save them, why would he not do that for all people?

Anonymous said...

I ask your patience. I understand this is old testament we are talking about. I just do not understand why God would save some by killing them and not others. I also have trouble understanding why
God would kill anyone. Did He not give commandments to Moses for all to live by. Isn't our God the light and example we should live by? Help me understand this Gene for I am puzzled. The God I have always known is one to be feared but also one of love and compassion. I understand judgement and we will all stand before him someday. I just have trouble with the killing part.

Gene said...

God is gracious.  He would not that ANY would perish.  He wants to persuade everyone to come to him in faith.

He will not do anything to the ungodly other than what they do to themselves.  That's bad enough.  Life without the love of the Father is a terrible place to live.  Of course if the ungodly come against him he will judge them.

But, when a person becomes a believer the rules change.  He expects us to grow and become what He has for our ultimate destiny.  If we resist or go into rebellion as a believer or refuse to grow in Him, He loves us too much not to deal with us.

Look at what Hebrews says about this in Chapter 12.  Please Read this carefully

Now,  Consider, a believer who loves God but plays the game and lives on the edge.  Even drifting into profound sin. Not sin that causes him to lose his salvation, but sin that causes compromise and is disobedience.

God will call us to repent. He will give us opportunity. He will woo us.  But, if we decide to live on the edge we live in the potential that we push the mercy of God to the limit.  It's not that he doesn't love us.  He loves us too much to allow us to play around with his mercy and grace.

We will know when we are outside.  The Holy Spirit will convince us of sin and of righteousness.  You won't stumble into this condition.  You will come to realize you are playing around and are living in danger.

God loves us too much to allow us to live without bringing us to account.   If you are concerned you probably are OK.  But, be very careful.  God is not mocked.