God Passes Over Sin

God publicly displayed him at his death as the mercy seat accessible through faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness, because God in his forbearance had passed over the sins previously committed. (Romans 3:25 NET)

"Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead." (Acts 17:30-31CSB)

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2 ESV)

God does not condone sin. But God can overlook all sin legally and allow sinners to live without being unjust because He had sent His Son Jesus to die for the sins of the world, past, present and future. Thus when Adam sinned, the world was not destroyed straightaway. God can now be justified when He allow us to live while we are yet sinners, giving us an opportunity to be saved. Mercy and justice are reconciled in Christ Jesus.

Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God's justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God's judgment when you do the same things? Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? (Romans 1:28-2:4 NLT)

Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? (Habakkuk 1:13 NIV)

Many people are confused by God's mercy. When they see the wicked who sinned terribly live without suffering any consequences, they demand that God punishes them. But they overlooked that they themselves are also sinners who commit small sins. They forgot that God is just and punishes all sin, big and small. Because their own sins are small, they did not see them as sin and thought they are righteous.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. (Romans 3:23-26 NLT)

Rapture - Resurrection or Second Coming

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NLT)

Jesus will descend from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise first. So should the rapture be classified as resurrection or second coming of Christ?

We know that there are two coming of Christ, two resurrections and two deaths. So how many second coming are there? How many first resurrection are there?

We know that the first resurrection will occur at the second coming of Christ. So is the rapture part of the first resurrection? When will it occur? Is it at the last trumpet?

Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:30-31 ESV)

Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6 ESV)

If We Are Saved By Christ Why Read the Bible And Go To Church

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. (Romans 3:21-22 NLT)

If we can be saved by believing that Christ had died for our sin and without keeping the requirements of the law, why do we need to read the Bible and go to church?

Let say a man believed in Christ at the age of 16 and then for 80 years he did not read the Bible and go to church. At his death bed at 96, what will happen?

He may remember that he is a Christian but and he does not know what to do. All his friends and relatives are non-Christians, and none can advise. Some of his friends and relatives may think that Christianity is like all other religions. So they called a Roman Catholic priest to perform last rites for him. But he said, "I am not a Catholic. I remember that it is not like that. Does anyone have a Bible for me to check?" Then when offered a Bible, he will flip the pages and hope to find the answer, but will he find it? Then they may get a pastor, but will he end up with a pastor who know the gospel or just some liberal pastor who is equally clueless about salvation? Of course, by the skin of his teeth, he may remember that eternal life is to trust in Jesus and once again cried out to the Lord for mercy before he passes on.

When we do our daily work, whether we are bosses who run big companies or clerks who do daily operation, don't we plan our work to ensure success? If we put so much effort into work and do not count for eternity, why are we neglecting the work that is needed to assure our eternal life?

While we do not need to read the Bible and go to church to be saved, we need to build our faith and assurance. If we have no knowledge of our Saviour, how can we have the faith that He will save us on that day? We will not even know that salvation is as easy as believing in Christ. Let say we have a friend whom we did not meet for 80 years. Will we be able to recognise each other when we meet? If we did not read the Bible and go to church for a long time, will we believe that Jesus is still willing to save us? And we will not know that it is written in the Bible that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life (John 3:15).

And what about the family and children? We spent money on the children's education to ensure that they will slog hard in the world in work that do not last for eternity. But what about their eternal salvation? Without us leading the way to go to church and read the Bible, the children will not know Jesus. They will be on their way to eternal damnation while having a good education and slogging hard in the world to make money that they cannot bring with them.

Christians who do not go to church and read the Bible are reducing the probability of their own salvation and cutting off the knowledge of eternal life from their loved ones around them. 

But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God's love. And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives. (Jude 20-23 NLT)

Jewish Believers Zealous for the Law

The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality." (Acts 21:18-25 NIV)

Jewish believers who are also zealous for the law is against Paul. Believers against believers. This is the result of idolatry. The Jews made their laws, customs and culture their idols. Christian believers must become Jews.

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. (1 Corinthians 10:14 BSB, ESV)

Salvation Without Keeping the Law

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. (Romans 3:21-22 NLT)

For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!) (Romans 4:15 NLT)

God told us that if we believe in Him, we will be saved. We are saved by what we believe, not what we do.

A Man Named Tychicus

Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you. (Ephesians 6:21-22 NIV)

Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. (Colossians 4:7-8 NIV)

The Bible is full of names of small people, such as Tychicus and Damaris. God remembers them, and He also remembers you.