Rapture Questions

Dear Karen,

The Word of God is quite plain. It is explicitly stated in 1 Corinthians 15:23, "But every man in his own order [rank; position]: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming [parousia]."

Sister, every saved person is going to be taken in the rapture. It doesn't matter about their degree of faithfulness. We are all individuals, and the Lord deals with us as such. There has never been a time in this dispensation when all true believers had the exact same degree of faithfulness. Some of God's people are far more dedicated to the Lord than others. Some are more or less dedicated. Some are hardly dedicated at all. But if they are God's people [true believers] they all have one thing in common. Their salvation! Read Jude 3. Therefore, when the rapture occurs they will be taken, whether some want to believe it or not.

Sister, we are not saved by our works, we are not kept by our works, we will not be raptured according to our works. Some folks can't seem to get this simple fact through their numb skulls, and I suspect it is because they are so "proud" of what "a fine Christian they are." Sic! Our works have nothing at all to do with our salvation. Our works only have to do with our rewards. The Lord invested His own precious blood in every person who truly believes on Him, and He isn't about to lose His investment.

Every true believer will be raptured, regardless of whether they are living dedicated, sacrificial lives for the Lord or not. But once raptured there will be a judgment to face, 2 Corinthians 5:10. It is there and then that every true believer will receive his or her rewards for our works done in the body in this present life. Some will be ashamed before Him when their works [degree of faithfulness] are examined, 1 John 2:28. Others will receive a crown, or two crowns, or three crowns, or four crowns, or some even five crowns. Never, never, never have all of God's people had the same degree of faithfulness to their Savior. Read Matthew 13:8; 13:23. Is that so hard for true believers to understand? The Lord said, "And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give to every man according as his work shall be," Revelation 22:12.

Sister, I would point out that these Scriptures do not need "interpreted." They just need to be believed for what they literally and actually say. The works of the truly repentant believer have nothing at all to do with the salvation of the soul, Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5. What then makes people think that their works have anything to do with the salvation of the body? Romans 8:22-23. They don't! Read Romans 4:5-8. Now look at Romans 8:11, "But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you." The very fact that Christ rose from the dead is our guarantee that every true believer is also going to be raised and caught up to be with the Lord when He comes to resurrect and rapture His people to glory, 1 Corinthians 15:23: 15:50-52. I would add that I don't see two or three or half a dozen resurrections and raptures taking place at different times in these verse. I only see ONE, which occurs at the "parousia" of the Lord Jesus Christ. The "parousia" is not referring to the Lord's return to this earth. That Greek word is "erchomai." Check it out for yourself.

Now let's get down to some serious heartsearching. I have never met a child of God [true believer], including myself, that at some point in their life didn't "backslide." Maybe only momentarily, maybe for a short time, maybe for weeks or months or years. Did that make them lose their salvation? Of course not! It did make them lose their fellowship with God, but it didn't alter their relationship with Him at all. Tell me.....when one of your children is disobedient and rebellious, and does that which you know is wrong, do they cease to be your child during that time of their disobedience? Well.....?? Then what makes these self-appointed "judges" look down their pious noses, and consign a person to hell just because they aren't measuring up to the "standard" that the "judges" think they should be measuring up to at any given point in their life? God is the ONE who knows the hearts, even when He is displeased by the works at any given time in a person's life. We are not going to be judged by a bunch of proud hearted, self-appointed, holier-than-thou, "Christians." [?]. Our Judge, our only Judge, is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, 2 Timothy 4:1. He alone knows whose heart has been washed in His blood, and who is merely a vain "professor," Matthew 7:21-23. When the Lord comes to resurrect and rapture His children to glory, He is going to take very blood washed child of His on the face of the earth. Not one will be left behind.

Does this mean that everyone claiming to be a "Christian" is going in the rapture. When donkeys fly! Many today who claim to be "Christians," some who even work very hard to prove to the Lord how "worthy" they are of being taken, will be left right here. Why? Because even though they are members of some church or other religious organization, they don't know a thing about the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. One thing that it appears most of God's people today are overlooking is the fact that no one on the face of this earth is worthy. Period! We are saved by God's GRACE upon hell deserving sinners, kept by God's GRACE after we have been saved, and will be delivered by God's GRACE into the presence of the Lord when He comes. The term in Luke 21:36 is not "worthy." The term is "accounted worthy." Some people need to learn how to read. The only way any person is ever "accounted worthy" is by having the righteousness of Christ "imputed" to us. This occurs when we repent of our sins with our whole heart and receive Christ by faith as our own personal Savior. In that instant we are "born again" and His righteousness is imputed to us. Glory to God!

As children of God, we should try to live Godly and holy and pure lives for our Lord. But none of us ever reach "perfection" in this flesh. Anyone who thinks they do needs to read 1 John 1:8-10 again, and start confessing. No matter how hard we try, the Scripture still says that when our Lord comes to resurrect and rapture His people to glory, He is going to ".....change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself," Philippians 3:20-21. Glory! Praise the Lord!

Sister, I will address your other questions and specific points raised in another email. I hope what I have written gives you some enlightenment and blessing. Thank you for writing. God bless you. I'll meet you soon in glory.

Pastor F. M. Riley