The only opinion that matters:

[Lees]

All members of the human race, and we Christians are no exception, are affected by our 'self importance'. By what our 'peers' view us to be which is based on our acceptance in certain groups. Based upon how others view our successes or failures in job, marriage, position in Church, or life in general. It is as though we are what our 'peers' think us to be. We react to that, try and protect that. Our importance and acceptance is based upon that.

Yet, one of the great things in Heaven, when we get there, is that that will no longer ever play a role. In my opinion. Our importance will never be based upon our 'peers'. We really won't care one way or another what our 'peers' think about us. Nor they us.

The only relationship that will have any bearing upon us, that will affect us, is our relationship with Jesus Christ. What does He think of me? Is He disappointed in me? Is He angry with me? Does He still love me? That is true, because as I said, His is the only opinion that matters. No other opinion about you or me matters then His.

(Matt. 28:18) "...All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." 'All'. And He, whose word and authority is the final word and authority throughout the universe, died for you. And you have believed on Him. Now that is handy. Talk about 'Who you know'.

And, since that is true, which I believe it is, then we as Christians, here, should try and live up to that. It will always be a struggle because we still are in this earthly body under condemnation. But we should make that struggle. When the world, others, our peers be they Christian or not, find fault with us, we should remind ourselves, Whose opinion really matters? Who am I important to? And He never changes His mind.

My opinion.

Lees

 

[Lamb]

As a baptized child of God, He sees me as He sees His Son, with whom He is well pleased. I don't have to attempt to please God through any works or attitude because I am clothed in Jesus' righteousness.

 

[Lees]

As a baptized child of God, He sees me as He sees His Son, with whom He is well pleased. I don't have to attempt to please God through any works or attitude because I am clothed in Jesus' righteousness.

It is true. Though others at times may not see it, and even ourselves at times have a hard time believing it. I appreciate Abraham's and Sarah's struggles, and failures, they had in their walk with God, and God's response to them.

In (Romans 4:18-21) God said of Abraham's faith, "Who against hope believed in hope...And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years of, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able to perform...."

That is God's opinion of Abraham. Yet when it was actually being played out in history, how different it appeared. For we are told that when God told Abraham when he was 99 that he would have a son by Sarai, he laughed, not out loud, but in his heart. And he tried to help God by saying Ishmael could play the role, as he was Abraham's son, though not by Sarai, but Hagar. (Gen. 17:15-18) "...Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed....And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!"

And even before that, Abraham tried to help out God by saying Eliezer his servant could fulfill the promise. (Gen. 15:2-3). "...And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?...and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir."

How different the account in (Genesis) and that in (Romans). But how important. Can we not know God's opinion of us in our days of failure and struggle in this life, when it is actually taking place, by what He said of Abraham, when it actually took place, in (Rom. 4:18-21)?

In other words, when Abraham was struggling with unbelief, and even laughed at God in (Genesis), (Rom. 4:18-21) shows the heart of God toward Abraham at that time. That is how He sees it, and that is how it is.

(Rom. 4:17) "God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were." Because they will be.

So many other good examples He gives us in the Bible.

Lees

 

[Lees]

And of Sarah, Abraham's wife, we are told in (Heb. 11:11) "Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised."

What a glorious testimony of Sara's faith. But how did it play out in the real history?

(Gen. 18:11-15) " Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age: and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?....Then Sarah denied, saying I laughed not...And he said Nay; but thou didst laugh."

Yet we find Sarah in the great 'faith' chapter of the Bible, (Heb. 11). We find God's opinion of Sarah during that time when she struggled with unbelief.

"she judged him faithful who promised" (Heb. 11:11)

God heard her laugh, heard her unbelief. But God also saw her faith. And which one did He remember? Which one made it into the faith chapter of His Word? Her faith.

And who will go before God and accuse her of terrible unbelief when she laughed, and lied about it? In other words, who will go before God and tell Him He is wrong in his opinion of Sarah? Good luck with that.

Lees

 

[WowLookADuck]

Jesus will not be judging us in Heaven.

 

[Lees]

Jesus will not be judging us in Heaven.

My point was God's attitude towards we who believe here on earth in our daily walk. That it is always yea and amen. (2 Cor. 1:19-20) That we are always 'accepted in the beloved'. (Eph. 1:6) That being irregardless of how we appear at times on this earth. And remember, Christ is our Advocate in Heaven at this present time. (Heb. 7:25) (1 Jn. 2:1) Interceding for us.

As to the 'Official Judgements', we who are the Church, believers in Christ, have our sins already judged by Christ's Sacrifice at Calvary. But we still have a judgement of works/rewards to attend to based on our conduct after we became Christian. And it is based upon our service in building up the building of the Church. (1 Cor. 3:9-10)

This judgement will take place in Heaven and I believe will take place following the Rapture of the Church. It is not a judgement to see if we can enter Heaven or not. It is a judgement based upon our service to God once we believed. A judgement of rewards. And where we have failed, that will all be burned up. (1 Cor. 3:11-15)

Lees

 

[Lees]

Here is another example of our knowing the mind of God toward us when we endure struggles and failures in our lives here.

This account begins with Israel's failure to believe God and enter the promised land at Kadesh-barnea. The people rebelled against God. (Num. 14:9-10) Making the LORD angry and ready to disinherit them and instead make a nation from Moses. (Num. 11-12) But instead, God punished that generation of Israelites promising them they would not enter the land. (Num. 14:20-23) They would wander in the wilderness for forty years till that generation died out. (Num. 14:33-34)

And God said to Moses, "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me." (Num. 14:27)

During Israel's wandering in the wilderness we find Korah and others rebelling against Moses and Aaron. (Num. 16:1-3) This brought about a severe judgement from God. (Num. 16:30-35) (Num. 16:44-50)

Then, Israel once again was without water causing thirst and rebellion. (Num. 20:2) Causing great anger in Moses and Aaron who reacted sinfully in smiting the Rock when God told him to speak to the Rock. (Num. 20:8-11) This in turn resulted in judgement against Moses and Aaron, for God would not allow them to enter the promised land. (Num. 20:12-13) "...This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them."

Later, after Aaron's death, (Num. 20:29), Israel once again spake against God and Moses. (Num. 21:5) Resulting in God sending fiery serpents who bit and killed many. (Num. 21:6) Moses prayed and God had them construct the bronze 'serpent on a pole' so that whosoever looked at it would be healed. (Num. 21:8-9)

What a group God has on His hands. Yet...when Balak, king of Moab, hired the prophet Balaam to curse Israel, (Num. 22:6, 17), hear what the LORD said through Balaam.

(Num. 23:21) "He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel; the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them."

The people of God don't get away with anything because God brings them into judgement here. But their sins, and rebellion, and murmuring, doesn't change God's mind that they are His people. Doesn't change that God is always for them.

God will deal with iniquity. Thus He can say, "He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob".

Lees