The Bible Provocateur
The Bible Provocateur
Paradise, NOT Hell: Christ's Journey After Death Explained (PART 3 of 3)
The profound mystery of eternal security stands at the heart of Christian faith. Through careful biblical exposition, we unpack why true salvation can never be lost, grounded in the completed work of Christ and His imputed righteousness.
"If I could lose my salvation, I'm not the loser – Jesus would be the biggest loser ever." This startling statement launches us into an exploration of what happens when we receive Christ's righteousness. We inherit it permanently through imputation, moving from condemnation under the law to liberty under grace. This transaction cannot be reversed without undermining the very character and promises of God Himself.
Moving through Scripture, we examine how Abraham "believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness" thousands of years before the cross. This revelation dismantles the misconception that Old Testament saints weren't truly saved until after Christ's death. Romans 3:23-26 clarifies that Jesus' sacrifice declared "his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God" – confirming salvation has always come through faith in the Messiah.
We also tackle misunderstood passages like Ephesians 4:8-10, revealing that Christ's descent "to the lower parts of the earth" refers not to hell but to His incarnation – His journey from heaven to earth. When He "led captivity captive," Jesus bound Satan (the strong man) to rescue us from bondage, destroying "him who had the power of death" through His own death on the cross.
The message culminates with Jesus' own words about Abraham: "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." This profound truth illuminates how believers across all ages have been saved through the same gospel, secured by the eternal "I AM" who declared, "Before Abraham was, I AM."
Join us in exploring these transformative truths that anchor our faith in Christ's perfect, completed work rather than our imperfect performance. Reach out if any aspect challenges your understanding – our shared goal is the glory of our Redeemer who has promised us an everlasting inheritance.
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It is the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. I don't think anyone here will disagree. My brother Mark says it's his, not mine. We receive the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We inherit by imputation his righteousness, and because we receive his righteousness, we are now accepted in the beloved and reconciled to the father, reconciled to God. Because of the righteousness of Christ, his active obedience becomes ours, and that can never be taken away. The law no longer has dominion over us. We are under the law of faith, under the law of grace, and not under the law of sin and death anymore.
Speaker 1:I don't care what people tell you, they will tell you oh, you're just saying that people can sin and do whatever they want. I don't care, that's another argument for another day. But I can tell you this there is nothing that a true believer can do that can take them away from God's grace. People are always saying you can lose your salvation. If I can lose my salvation, I'm not the one that's a loser. If I can lose my salvation, I am not the one who's a loser. You know who the loser would be if I lose my salvation. If I could lose my salvation, the loser is not me, it is the Lord Jesus Christ himself. He's the loser. Jesus is the biggest loser ever to be born among men and in heaven. If I could lose my salvation, take that to the bank. If any of you who truly love the Lord Jesus Christ, and you know you have been saved, if you know that you have been saved and if you have made your calling and election sure, you know you belong to him, you know you're his sheep, you know you've heard his voice and you obeyed it, and you know he knows you. If you know this, then you can never lose your salvation, because if you could, you would not be the big loser, he would, and we know that can never happen. That can never happen.
Speaker 1:In Romans 4, it says this about Abraham. For what does the scripture say? Paul is quoting scripture. He says what does the scripture say? And he's quoting Old Testament scripture, because the New Testament hadn't been written yet. He says what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness. If Abraham was not saved, if Abraham died and he was not saved, if Abraham died and he was not saved like I've heard people tell me in the last 24 hours if Abraham was not saved, then what righteousness was counted to him because he believed, and how could it be said that he was the father of many nations, which includes Gentile believers? How could he be our father if he wasn't saved and we could be today? You see how stupid this is. Yes, I have to call it that. I have to Because it is If Abraham was not saved and I picked Abraham specifically because Abraham goes way back, he goes way back Before Moses so if he could be righteous and have righteousness counted to him, in other words imputed to his account, because he believed God, how can you say he wasn't saved until Jesus died on the cross, soul went into hell, and then he preached to Abraham and preached to other dead saints. What is this? Let me ask you another question. Let me ask you another question.
Speaker 1:Christian brethren, I want you guys to know I love you guys. I really do, I really sincerely do, I really do. I do this not to be at variance with you, but I hope to edify some, I hope to exhort some, I hope to learn from some, from many, all these things. This is an exchange and I wanted to bring people up, but one of my sisters convinced me. You know what? Maybe it's something I should just go through. I thought about that after talking to her today. She knows who she is and this is why I'm doing it this way, so I can get it all out. So I brought up Abraham.
Speaker 1:Righteousness Was counted to him, imputed to him Because he believed God. Now, who is God? The same people that were telling me that he was not saved until Jesus died and went to the cross. And Jesus preached to him after he died on the cross because the Old Testament saints weren't saved. But then how did? Number one, how did Abraham have righteousness thousands of years before Christ died? I'm going to explain that.
Speaker 1:Paul talks about it in Romans. Let me find my notes here. Romans, chapter 3. Verse 23. Romans 3. Verse 23. Paul says For all have sinned. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, verse 24. Being justified free. Notice this. I forgot to mention this Verse 23. It says All have sinned that means all of mankind without exception and came short of the glory of God. Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ. Listen to this verse, verse 25.
Speaker 1:Christ, jesus, whom? Meaning Christ, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation, meaning a wrath, appeaser. Propitiation means a wrath appeaser, a wrath turner away of, if I can use some bad English. Jesus was set forth. Set forth means appointed, ordained, so being justified freely by God's grace through redemption, that is, in Christ Jesus, whom God appointed to be a wrath appeaser or a wrath turner away of, through faith in the blood of Jesus. For what reason? Here's the reason To declare his righteousness. For what reason? Here's the reason To declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past. What does he mean by that? Justified freely by his grace through redemption that is in Christ? Follow me here, because I know I'm lingering a little bit, but I want you to really let this marinate. Whom God meaning? Jesus, whom God sent him forth, appointed him to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness, the righteousness of Christ, for the remission of sins that are past. So what does that mean? What sins were remissed that were past?
Speaker 1:The sins of the Old Testament, believers Through the forbearance of God. Forbearance, patience, so he's talking about when he talks about Jesus. Christ was set forth, or appointed by God to be a propitiation, in other words, to turn away the wrath and bring salvation to, by faith in his blood to those who sinned in the past and he says, through the forbearance of God, to declare I say at this time his righteousness. Why? That he might be the just and the justifier of him who believes in Jesus. This verse tells you these passages Romans 3, 23 to 26, tell you that the Old Testament believers were saved by righteousness. They were saved given righteousness, and the righteousness that they obtained was declared by the death of Christ. In other words, the death of Christ revealed and proved and declared that those who sinned in the past because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, that they too were saved, just like we are today. I hope that makes sense. I love this word. I love it Because it is undeniable, undeniable.
Speaker 1:A couple more things, and I'm going to give you a break. Remember the transfiguration, matthew 17. It says in Matthew 17, verse 1 through 4, I'm going to read After six days, jesus took Peter, james and John, his brother, and brought them up to a high mountain apart, and Jesus was transfigured before them and his face shone as the sun and his raiment was as white as the light. And behold, there appeared unto them guess who? Moses and Elias. That's strange, because they would have to have been saved to be brought here because Jesus Christ hadn't died yet.
Speaker 1:But yet at his transfiguration he brings Moses and Elijah and was talking to them. This wasn't Judas and Pharaoh he was talking to. He was talking to Moses and Elijah. How could they not be saved if he brought them to the transfiguration? Jesus hadn't died on the cross yet, but he brought them because this is what Peter listen to, what happened in verse 4 of Matthew 17. Then answered Peter and said to the Lord Jesus, it is good for us to be here, we're glad to be here. Lord, if you will, let us make here three tabernacles one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah. And Jesus wasn't having that, because what Peter was doing, he was putting Jesus, moses and Elijah on equal footing.
Speaker 1:And then Moses and Elijah departed. Jesus was left there and God told them you listen to my son. But what is it? Why was Moses and Elijah there? Because they represented the law and the prophets. Don't follow them anymore. You have my son, hear ye him. The law and the prophets can do you no good now. Put away childish things, stop drinking milk. You have my son now. Now you have, you've been exposed to the whole counsel of God. Through him, the word of God he has come and put on flesh. You don't need Moses and the prophets anymore. When you had Moses and Elijah you looked dimly into a mirror. Now you see clearly. Ephesians One of the other things that came up last night. Ephesians One of the other things that came up last night.
Speaker 1:This brother said that that in Ephesians when it talks about Christ setting, taking captivity, captive, he related that to Christ going into hell. And I don't know how he made that to Christ going into hell and I don't know how he made that connection. But let's look at the verses that he provided and explain them real quick. Ephesians 4.8, 4.8 through 10. Excuse me, paul says wherefore. Paul says wherefore. He says when he meaning Christ, ascended up on high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men. Notice the order Captivity was led captive and he gave gifts to men. That followed Verse nine.
Speaker 1:Now that he ascended, what is it or what does it mean? But that he also descended first to the lower parts of the earth, meaning that there's no way that he could ascend unless he had first descended. And then it says in verse 10, he that descended is the same that also ascended up far above all heavens that he might fill all things Talking about. The Lord, the Lord, jesus Christ, now listen to this. The Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ, now listen to this.
Speaker 1:When it says that he descended first into the lower parts of the earth, the Catholic Church once again was convincing in making people believe that the lower parts of the earth means hell. This singular verse makes people believe that Jesus Christ went to hell because the idea is that the lower parts of the earth means hell. It doesn't mean that. That's not what this passage is saying. Let's listen to it, just if you don't believe me, consider it. Just consider it. Just consider it. Think about it. All right.
Speaker 1:Ephesians 4a, wherefore he says when he, meaning Jesus Christ, ascended up on high, in other words, when he went up, he led captivity, captive and gave gifts to men. I'm going to come back to this in a second, but then in verse nine, it says now in parentheses the next two verses are parenthetical Now that he ascended up to heaven after his resurrection. He ascended up, but what is it, but that he first descended to the lower parts of the earth. He that descended is the same that also ascended up far above all heavens. Now here's what he's saying here.
Speaker 1:He is not saying that he went to hell. He is saying that Christ, being the eternal son of God, was in heaven before he came to earth. He was in heaven, but he descended to the lower parts of the earth. He came to earth. Earth is below heaven, earth is below heaven. The son of God descended from heaven to earth and into the womb of his mother, mary, and was given birth. He came down to the lower parts of the earth, not under the earth, not in hell, but earth itself. He came here and you can see this again if you look up in Philippians, chapter 2,.
Speaker 1:As one of my brothers rightly pointed out, he came to the lower parts of the earth, meaning earth which is below heaven. Where he came from? And what did he say in his high priestly prayer to his father? He said he was anxious to go back to where he came from. I'm paraphrasing, but he says this in Matthew. I mean in John 17. Going back to his father.
Speaker 1:Now listen to what John 3, verse 13 says, just to put a finer point on the fact that Christ, when it says he descended to the lower parts of the earth means earth and not hell. John 3, verse 13, says this. And no man, jesus says, and no man has ascended up to heaven, but he who came down from heaven, down where, to earth. Even the son of man, who actually, while he's on earth, is also still in heaven. That's another mind bender. John 6, verse 38.
Speaker 1:Jesus says this I came down from heaven From where. I mean he came down where. He came down from heaven to earth, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. John 16, verse 28,. Jesus says I came forth when to? From here to here. I came forth from the father and am come into the world, into the world Again. I leave the world and go back to my father. He left heaven, came to earth. He left earth, went back to heaven. He left his father, came down here. He left here, went back to his father.
Speaker 1:Acts, chapter 2, verse 19. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath, blood and fire and vapor and smoke. Heaven and earth. John 8, 23. And he said to them you are from beneath, I am from above. What is he saying when he says you are from beneath? He's not saying that you are all in hell. He's saying you are from earth, earth is beneath heaven. So in 8.23, jesus tells his disciples you are from beneath, I am from above, you are of this world which is beneath, I am not of this world which is beneath, I am not of this world which is above. So when it says in Ephesians 4, 9, now he ascended, what is it? But that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth, jesus is saying that he who ascended had also descended where To earth, from where From heaven. And what did he do after he descended down here? Well, after he resurrected, he went back there.
Speaker 1:Now let's deal with this issue of Leading captivity captive, taking captivity captive, taking captivity captive. When Christ came here, he made captives of two groups. He made captive the devil and his angels and he made captives of us. We were in bondage to sin and Satan and the world, and he seized upon us. But he only did that after he seized Satan. What did Jesus say? Well, let's look at what he says, and this is what's important, because we need to tie all of it together.
Speaker 1:In Matthew, chapter 12, jesus had been casting out demons, and the Pharisees said that he was casting out demons using the power of the devil. And Jesus said this. He says how can one enter into a strong man's house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man? What do you think binding the strong man is? It is taking the strong man captive. That's what it is Jesus says. But how can one enter a strong man's house and take his goods? We are the goods that he took.
Speaker 1:Jesus is saying that the only way that I meaning him, jesus is saying the only way that he could take and spoil the goods, make spoil of the goods of Satan, is to first bind Satan and then he will take his goods, he will take his booty, so to speak. So you know, when they, in those old days they would, you know, when they defeated an army, they would go and take everything that, all the value, all the value, the valuables. Well, satan had us captive and we were valuable to the Lord and he wanted us. He came here to get us. But Satan is not going to just let that happen. So Jesus had to first bind him in order to take us. So he made Satan captive. He made him in order to take us and make us his servants, taking us captive. So this is what we see here, or else, how can you enter a strong man's house? The earth was Satan's house. Jesus entered it and he first had to bind Satan in order to plunder his goods, us. We come to him in faith and belief and, as a result, we are no longer held captive by the devil and Satan and sin and the world. Now we are in bondage to our Lord and Savior. We are led by him and we are captivity, taken captive.
Speaker 1:In John 12, 31,. Jesus says now the prince of this world has been cast out. And notice in Matthew 12, 29, he says he bound the strong man. In John 12, 31, he says now the prince of this world is cast out. Both expressions used in Revelation, chapter 20. In 1 John 3, 8. Let me read this to you 1 John 3.8,. Let me read this to you 1 John 3.8,. The apostle says this he who sins is of the devil captive, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of man was manifest. Why? That he might destroy the works of the devil Took him captive.
Speaker 1:Hebrews, hebrews, chapter 2. Hebrews, chapter 2. Says this In as much. In as much, then, as the children us have partaken of flesh and blood. He himself, meaning Christ, likewise shared in the same that through death, through his death, through his death, he would destroy him. Who had the power of death? That is the devil. Listen to what he says here, john the apostle I mean, I'm sorry, the writer of Hebrews. He says that it is through the death of Christ that he destroyed him. Who had the power of death? That he destroyed him? Who had the power of death? That is the devil.
Speaker 1:The writer of Hebrews is telling us that Jesus destroyed the devil by his death. That's a whole other message for me to talk about. The devil has been bound, he's bound. Now Read Matthew 12, 29, 28, 29. Jesus tells you he's bound. Again. When they said that he was casting out devils by the prince of devils, he said that I'm casting out devils by the finger of God. And if I'm doing that, then that means that the only way that I can do that is for me to bind the strong man. He bound the strong man. John 12, 31 says he cast him out. 1 John 3, 8 says he was manifested to destroy the works of the devil when he was manifested here on earth. Now, here you see in Hebrews 2, verse 14, he says in as much as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he, jesus, likewise shared in the same meaning flesh and blood. Why that? Through death, through his death, that he would destroy him. Who had the power of death? That is the devil. He has destroyed him already.
Speaker 1:I don't know how much more I can say on this, but let me see if I covered everything that I intended to cover, because it looks like it looks like I'm close if I have not 1 Peter 4, 6. I'm almost done. A few more verses 1 Peter 4, 6. It says this Peter says dead that they might be judged according to men in the flesh but live according to God in the spirit. So I just want to point out Peter is saying that for this cause, the gospel was preached to them that are dead.
Speaker 1:Who's he talking about? Old Testament saints? He is saying that the gospel was also preached to them. It was also preached to them. They believed the gospel. You can't be saved apart from the gospel. So that means that even the Old Testament saints, if they are saved, they had to believe the gospel. Now, the light that they may have had may have been less than ours, but they still had to believe the gospel. Now, the light that they may have had may have been less than ours, but they still had to believe the same gospel that we believe. They had to have faith in the same Messiah that we believe in.
Speaker 1:First Peter 4, 17,. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God, and if it first began at us, what shall it be in the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? So in order for this statement to make any sense, it must be that the gospel has universal reach to everybody in every age, as it did Everybody in every age, as it did. This also assumes that the gospel of God has been preached throughout every era of this created existence that God has made for us to live in. First Peter 418. And if the righteous listen to this and if the righteous scarcely be saved? So here's the thing you must be righteous in order to be saved, and you must be righteous and made so while you are alive. So that means that every Christian or every body who, under the old covenant David, abraham, job and so forth, daniel, meshach, shadrach, abednego, everybody in an old Testament era, all of them were made righteous while they were alive. They had salvation before they died. The idea that they did not get salvation until after they died is a Catholic lie and it plays into that whole purgatorial system. It is silly and ridiculous and foolishness and it's a lie. Listen to this. I'm going to close with this.
Speaker 1:In John 8, you know the Pharisees and the Sadducees. They took a lot of pride. They took a whole lot of pride in their affiliation with Abraham. And Jesus pointed out to them if you loved Abraham, you would love me. If you knew Abraham, you would know me. If you believe like Abraham, you would believe in me, because Abraham believed and he was made righteous. So John 8, 56,.
Speaker 1:Jesus says this at John 8, 56 to 58. He says your father listen to this Now. Keep in mind Abraham was hundreds of years before Jesus Christ was even born. And Jesus says to the Jews your father Abraham, the one you say was your father he rejoiced to see my day and he saw it and was glad. How did Jesus? How did Abraham see Jesus? He was dead thousands of years. I think it was a couple thousand years, at least 4,000 years, perhaps I remember, I forget, but Jesus says that Abraham rejoiced to see his day. Abraham looked forward to seeing Jesus and he did see him and he was glad. Look at John 8, 56.
Speaker 1:Then the Jews said to him how did you see Abraham? You're not even 50 years old yet and you say you saw Abraham. How is that even possible? And Jesus said to them in verse 58 of John 8, he says verily, verily, I say unto you before Abraham was, I am, this is I love, the word of God. He says before Abraham was. He says before Abraham was even existent, says before Abraham was even existed, before he was even born, he says I am. He is making it known in no uncertain terms who he is. He is Jehovah in the flesh. Job said I know my Redeemer lives and I know that when I die I will wake up with his likeness.
Speaker 1:Christians, I hope at the very least that I made some slight impression upon your minds and hearts tonight, because this was a very, very heartfelt mission of mine to communicate these things to you all tonight, things that I believe very much to be true, and I hope to convince you that they are true. And if there's any aspect of this that you find problematic in your thinking, reach out to me. Let's discuss it, because the goal of us all should be the glory of our Master, of our Lord and our Savior, jesus Christ, the Son of God and the one who has redeemed us and brought us to faith and has promised us eternal life and an everlasting inheritance. With him in glory in his house. That has many mansions. May you be blessed, may you be provoked. That has many mansions. May you be blessed, may you be provoked and may you be persuaded in these things. May God bless you all. Have a great, great night.