Friday, February 21, 2025
Never lose sight of the truth that we live in an evil fallen world destined for destruction and that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12); and “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6). Never lose sight of the truth that we each “were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them” (Eph. 5:8–11). To discern and expose lies and works of darkness requires walking in the light and truth of Christ. Any disagreement with what Christ taught is blinding deception.
Never lose sight of the truth and costly price the Lord Jesus paid for our salvation, because it was our sin that nailed Jesus to the Cross of Calvary. Never lose sight of the truth of the agony Christ suffered on our behalf. “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:4–5). Never lose sight of the truth that “we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. [If not repented of, to “drift away” can lead to being “cut off” (Rom. 11:22)] For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?” (Heb. 2:1–4). God’s Son is the truth!
Never lose sight of the truth of Jesus suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane where He prayed, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done. Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:42–44). Imagine His time of duress struggling with knowing He was going to Calvary to die a sinner’s death that you and I could be redeemed, justified before God and share with Him in His eternal Kingdom. Imagine the rejection, the loneliness and weight of the sins of the world bearing upon His holy, pure and righteous life. Our Lord Jesus paid a debt He did not owe because we could not pay the debt that we owed. Christ’s prayers, tears and sweat like great drops of blood was caused by our weight of sin. Yet, in love He offered Himself for you and me.
Never lose sight of the truth of Christ’s struggle as He bore His Cross to Calvary and fell beneath its load. It was our sins, rebellion and unbelief that caused His pain and intense suffering. It was His love for our redemption that He stayed the course to set us free from the sentence of eternal damnation we all faced. He was and is the spotless Lamb of God who died and rose again that all we who by grace through faith believe and are born-again who have the promise of eternal life. It was the Roman soldiers who actually crucified Christ, but it was your sins and mine that caused Him to suffer that cruel sinner’s death that we might by faith be saved and justified on Judgment Day when we all must give an account of our life on earth, for everything done whether good or bad, 2 Cor. 5:10. Never lose sight of these truths in all humility of faith and never “drift away”.
Never lose sight of the truth that after three days in the tomb Jesus rose to life and 50 days later ascended to heaven and was seated at the right hand of His Father. Without His resurrection we would be hopeless. His resurrection is the exclusivity and certainty that the gospel of Christ is altogether true. We weren’t there to bear witness to it, but by faith we believe the written gospel and testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ. Never lose sight of that truth, for these faith-based truths are what give us hope for today, for tomorrow and beyond, yes, even until Jesus Christ returns! It is by faith we believe Christ when He said “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1–3). Amen!
Never lose sight of the truth and certainty of Jesus Christ’s testimony. Never lose sight of the truth that if any man or any church, or church tradition, teaches contrary to the testimony of the Lord Jesus that that man or church bears false witness against the Son of God which proves them a liar. Concerning the return of Christ to gather His elect, there is only one resurrection rapture and Jesus Christ led that discourse for the benefit of all who would by faith believe Him. He said of the resurrection “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:28–29). [My emphasis] Notice that all the dead in graves are raised in the same hour; believers unto eternal life and unbelievers unto condemnation. Christ said that resurrection would occur “at the last day” (John 6:40, 44, 54). Four times the Bible says that the resurrection occurs “at the last day” when one includes John 11:24. There are not multiple resurrections before “the last day” as the hopeless pre-trib rapture lie says. All who teach the pre-trib rapture cause many to “drift away”.
Never lose sight of the truth that Christ said He gathers His elect saints “Immediately after the tribulation” (Matt. 24:29–31), which means we believers will be right here on earth for the full seven years of Antichrist’s tribulation; which further means we must prepare to endure to the end of this present age just as Jesus taught at Matt. 24:13. Furthermore, “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, [in the resurrection rapture] we ask you … Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, [Antichrist] who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thess. 2:1–4). But false teachers oppose Christ and lead people to believe the pre-trib rapture lie. But their lies will be discovered when the tribulation is revealed, and “then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another” (Matt. 24:10), which will accelerate “the falling away” (2 Thess. 2:3).
Never lose sight of the truth that the first 3 1/2 years of tribulation will be severe, but the second 3 1/2 years is “great tribulation” (Matt. 24:21), “such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be”. During those last 3 1/2 years God has a provision and safety for those who believe Christ and prepared. My new book “ON EAGLES’ WINGS” explains in detail how to know Christ and find God’s Bozrah shelter and place of provision.
Marlin J. Yoder
