Rev. 20:11-15 (ESV)
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. [12] And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. [13] And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. [14] Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. [15] And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
And they were judged, each one of them according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire, and if anyone’s name was not found in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fie.
So the second death, it isn’t the physical death that is the result of our first death of sin. It is the lake of fire. It is Hell. It is judgment for what we have done in this life. Squirm a little? I do. I got a few things in life I’m not proud of. I think everyone does. And if they don’t, they’re narcissistic and delusional. We all have sin, and we have all sinned. But then it isn’t being judged for what you have done that gets you thrown into the lake of fire. Nope, it is whether or not you are written in the book of life. That is whether or not God has chosen you. Whether or not he has written your name in the book of life, and claimed you as his. And this he does in baptism.
5 comments:
Bror,
“That is whether or not God has chosen you. Whether or not he has written your name in the book of life, and claimed you as his. And this he does in baptism.”
Coming from Calvinism if you pause too long on that first part of your sentence, (That is whether or not God has chosen you. Whether or not he has written your name in the book of life, and claimed you as his.) I’m not a speed reader so I go word to word rather than chunk to chunk, thus all that old election/reprobation comes back to the surface. I could literally for a second or two or three or four feel my stomach tie up in knots, I’m not exaggerating. It’s like passing out. Anybody that says doctrine doesn’t DO anything, isn’t listening, and thus not feeling any anatomical reaction to words! Then one reads, “and this he does in baptism”.
Brother right there in a compact statement is the difference between Calvin and Luther and it is no little difference at all! Drop off that last part, “and this he does in baptism”, a seemingly small sentence fragment of only six words, a mere 22 letters, and leave the rest of your post as is – and one has an entirely different religion and reaction thereof. Read the post without that six word sentence part and see what one thinks and feels.
Larry
Larry, you have to keep saying that; it is an important message. My heart skipped a beat, too.
I am baptized, too! Exactly 49 years to the day. This is the first time ever I have known consciously that it is my baptism birthday on Nov. 5th. Thanks for that, you two. (I will not now make that a password anywhere on the net. I should add it to Facebook.)
In Germany, in the State church or in pietistic fellowship we never spoke about baptism, except that it made a nice family event and you got nice godparents who give you a Bible for your confirmation classes, which is nice.
I will sing myself a "God's own child, I gladly say it." LSB #594, or for those who don't have that hymnal (buy one at CPH), Pastor Weedon did a great hymn study on it on Issues, etc. which can be listened to here:
http://issuesetc.org/podcast/555081310H2.mp3
Larry,
Perhaps a little law/gospel effect there exercising your Calvinist demon? Yeah those words make a difference.
Bror,
I think so. That’s old verse in Calvinism that causes MUCHO terror. I use to get hung right there and then the despair would set in and in and in and in…etc…. Bridgette hit it rhetorically better, “heart skipping a beat”.
Yea if you want strong law, Calvinistic predestination can do it. Problem is you have to believe it not just analytically know it. Here’s what I mean three+ years ago if I had heard a Calvinistic Baptist preacher/theologian or Reformed one say that, or read it, I’d believed it because one puts oneself under their authority as authority. After one more or less ascends to Luther/Lutheran as authority I’d just kind “wave it aside” coming from one of them. Kind of like when I was an atheist, because you believe true you give weight and authority and access to your mind and heart to atheist “teachers”. After conversion you dismiss them because they are atheist. One does not allow them weight and authority and access as before. Same thing with a Calvinist preacher/teacher/theologian/author. It’s not that they know absolutely nothing, its rather more “take it with a grain of salt” and you know where they are preaching/teaching/confessing from, so you can disallow that authority, access and weight you once gave them.
HOWEVER, if one just for a minute reads, perhaps not all or out of context something a Lutheran (or Luther for that matter) is saying, these now having a weightiness, authority and access to your mind and heart allowed (because you BELIEVE the confessions), when they say it (and you don’t get the whole context), your “heart skips a beat” and your stomach kind of ties up in knots.
It was similar when I’d read Luther in some snippets regarding good works. I had not fully understood the direction he meant with all that. So I jumped in the pool to quick on the deep end. Then I’d read him with out all the background and understanding, out of due time. I recall panicking, because he was the last bastion of Gospel left, and recall replying, “Oh no, not Luther too, there’s no hope.” Thankfully, that didn’t last long as I was pointed to other works to straighten all that out.
You are right though, that last sentence never sounded so sweet led by that brief Law moment. That made baptism ever sweeter than before. One just doesn’t, coming from those other denominations think of God writing you into the book of life via baptism. It’s simply not taught that way; that He is actually doing anything nor writing you into His name. One is always pointed elsewhere to try to figure that out. “Am I in the book of life and thus elect, and how do I know this…” and off you go!!!
Then what GRABBED me was that last sentence, it tells the difference in two religions. I mean it really really really does. Take it away and whammo, it hits you in the face. Add it back and bingo, the difference. I don’t think it could be more black and white!
Larry
It's also why I always say when comparing calvinism (and baptist) that when they use similar words as Luther might have and they say, "we mean the same thing", I respond, "No we do not, and that's exactly the point, we DO NO mean the same thing. I agree we are uttering the same letters and syllables but we do not at all MEAN the same thing."
It's kind of like the terms "mortal/venial" sin, both Rome and Luther used those terms, same letters and syllables, but they did not and do not MEAN the same thing by each's use.
Same thing with: grace, faith, rebirth, salvation, conversion, scripture alone, faith alone, grace alone, baptism, "this is", election, predestination, good works, two natures, trinity, right hand of God, adiaphoria, sacrament, Law, Gospel, etc...
Larry
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