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| Vol. 13 No. 6 June 2011 | Page 15 |
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| Vol. 13 No. 6 June 2011 | Page 15 |
Louis Rushmore, Editor
When Jesus comes back will he have to be human? ~ Kenny W. Briscoe
When Jesus comes back, it will be in the air to receive the children of God, both the living and the dead.
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17).
While Jesus may have human form upon His return, obviously, He will exhibit divine qualities as He will be in the air or sky, and from there summon both the righteous living and dead to His side. Afterward, the destination of the same is eternity in heaven (John 14:1-3). The Bible does not teach that Christ will live once more on the earth.
Louis Rushmore, Editor
If Jesus took away all our sin on the cross, then why do saved women still go through birth pains? ~ Kenny W. Briscoe
On one hand, there is sin for which souls are guilty before God. Everyone has sinned (Romans 3:10, 23). Jesus Christ came into the world to take sin away or to save souls (John 3:16; 1 John 4:14). Though Jesus sacrificed Himself for the sins of the world, the benefit of that sacrifice, chiefly His blood (Ephesians 1:7; Revelation 1:5), is applied through being baptized into the death of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21); preceding baptism, one believes that Jesus is the Son of God (John 8:24), repents of sins (Luke 13:3) and acknowledges publicly confidence that Jesus is the Son of God (Romans 10:9-10; Acts 8:37). This is how one takes care of the sin problem in the God-appointed way and becomes a Christian (and is added to the church by Christ Himself, Acts 2:47). When sin enters one’s life after becoming a Christian, repentance and prayer is God’s appointed way for those sins to be forgiven (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:9).
Secondly, there are consequences for sins. A person whose drunkenness may have resulted in the vehicular death of somebody can be forgiven of his sins, but forgiveness of sins does not erase the consequence of his sins. Although no one is guilty of the sins of Adam and Eve (Ezekiel 18:20), some of the consequences of their sins affect all of humanity throughout all ages, such as death (Hebrews 9:27) and pain in childbirth (Genesis 3:16).