It is my opinion that our country, and this world actually, is already under the judgment of God. He is waiting to save that last soul that will be included in the Church. When that happens, the Church will be removed in the blink of an eye, and an awful darkness will envelop the world. The clock will start ticking, seven years and counting. Countdown will begin for the bloodiest period the world has ever experienced, and then Jesus Christ will return and set up His kingdom.

In the meantime, that is to say “as I speak,” this world is being judged by God by Him allowing millions of people to harden their own hearts to the Truth. I emphasize that this is my own opinion, but I believe it to be so. Notice what Jesus says in the following verses.

“Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.  And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”  This He said, signifying by what death He would die.

The people answered Him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”

Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.

But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke:

“Lord, who has believed our report?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:

“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts,

Lest they should see with their eyes,

Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,

So that I should heal them.” (John 12:31-40 NKJV)

In these verses of course Jesus is referring to His First Advent. He showed them many signs that He was their Messiah, but they did not believe. Finally it got to the point, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, and lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.”

They had become so blind to the Truth that, “And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.” (Luke 8:10)

Europe and this country in particular have been blessed with the Truth. Over the last five centuries, great men and women of God have opened the Word of God to those who would listen in all parts of the world. We still have the writings of many of those great saints of God.

In the latter part of the 20th century, and now the beginning of the 21st century, the Lord God has exponentially revealed last days prophecies to any who will take heed that His Second Advent is upon us. Just as few recognized the signs and listened to His Word the first time, the same is true now.

End times prophecy has been opened up and made clear. We read the following words in Daniel 12:8-10,

“And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.”

The time of Tribulation (Daniel’s 70th Week) is not even here as yet, but we already have a good understanding of prophecies for the last days. The Rapture has not even occurred, which precedes the Tribulation, but yet the prophecies are becoming very clear.

Great teachers who have been blessed with prophetical understanding have been faithfully teaching prophecy that pertains to the last days. It was not meant for Daniel to understand prophecies for these days. It is only meant for those living in the days of Christ’s soon return to understand. We understand now because those days are closing in upon us. Christ is coming back.

The rebellious ones of Jesus First Advent were eventually blinded to the Truth because of their stubbornness. Jesus allowed them to harden their own hearts and not understand what He was saying on many occasions. In other words, it got to the point that He gave them enough rope to hang themselves, and that is exactly what they did.

Today is no different. The Bible is very clear on what is about to take place on the earth. The signs are abundant, but few are noticing or even care.

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:3-9)

The signs leading up to the Tribulation are so abundant and clear only a blind fool could not see them. I can understand why the world at large is not aware of what is about to happen, but even the church crowd is basically unaware of what God tells us prophetically about the last days.

God has told us ahead of time in His Word; we call it the Bible, exactly what to look for in the last days just prior to His return. You can place a newspaper beside the Bible and as the newspaper prints it, the Bible has already stated it.

Many of our churches are like entertainment centers in a cemetery. They’re all show and no life. They’re like fool’s gold that sparkles but has no value. Cotton candy with no substance, just sugar and hot air.

If the churches aren’t getting it, God help those who never darken the doors. The church should be a lighthouse, and not just for the Gospel of salvation, but the Gospel that Jesus Christ is returning … soon.

A hardened heart has set in on the churches and in turn of course the hearts of the general populace are hardened because they are not being warned. But why should the world feel threatened? The church crowd, generally speaking, lives just like the world. Who can tell the difference? The church crowd isn’t concerned, so why should they be concerned?

If the churches spent nearly as much time on their knees and teaching the prophecies of Christ’s soon return, revival would break out all across the land. But instead the today’s church crowd is consumed with being politically correct while entertaining the masses and collecting their money. “Let’s ordain another homosexual. Don’t speak of that nasty ole word “sin.” You might offend someone. Send me some money, so I can buy a new jet. Coffee anyone?”

Just as in the first century our minds are set on our own desires and not the things of God. God showed up and we missed it. Will that be our epitaph? “God showed up and we missed it … again?”

Satan is working overtime to harden every heart he can. He knows his time is quickly, very quickly, running out. Surely he knows he is going to lose, but he wants to take as many with him as possible. So what does he do? He distracts us until our hearts are so hardened we wouldn’t see the train wreck even if we were in it.

If your heart is hardened, ask the Lord to thaw it out. Ask Him to change your attitude and stimulate your interest in His soon return. Get out your Bible and ask Him to teach you what you need to know. Be ready, because He can come at any time and remove His Church before all hell breaks out on this earth.

Grant Phillips

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in The Cost of Discipleship published in 1937 said of “cheap grace” and “costly grace;”

“Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like cheapjacks’ wares. The sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, and the consolations of religion are thrown away at cut prices. Grace is represented as the Church’s inexhaustible treasury, from which she showers blessings with generous hands, without asking questions or fixing limits. Grace without price; grace without cost! The essence of grace, we suppose, is that the account has been paid in advance; and, because it has been paid, everything can be had for nothing. Since the cost was infinite, the possibilities of using and spending it are infinite. What would grace be if it were not cheap?

Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.

Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.

Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.

Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: “ye were bought at a price,” and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.”

In our 21st century mindset the costly grace of God has been downgraded to a cheap grace that requires nothing but a token acknowledgement of belief in Jesus upon which we receive all His blessings.

Some may argue that to apply anything but “faith (belief)” in Jesus is to add works, but the question must be asked, “What are we implying when we say “faith or belief?” There is no doubt that we are saved by grace alone and not of works, for the Scriptures say,

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)

I have brought this subject up before, but there are those who still just don’t get it. I can understand why God’s grace should never be polluted with our works. If we depend one iota on our works for salvation, we negate any salvation we could receive from a holy God.

“Grace are ye saved…through faith…not of yourselves…gift of God…not of works…lest any man should boast” (Ephesian 2:8-9)

That’s pretty clear. God accepts our faith in His Son and by His grace saves us apart from any work on our part. We cannot boast because it is a gift from God. We didn’t work for it. We didn’t earn it. It is a gift from God because of our faith in Jesus.

But wait, there’s more. We can’t leave off verse ten since it is a continuation of verses eight and nine.

“We are his workmanship…created in Christ Jesus…unto good works…God before ordained…we should walk in them.” (Ephesian 2:10)

If our faith/belief were legitimate, then we have been saved by God’s grace alone … AND now “we are His workmanship.” “We are created in Christ Jesus.” “We are created in Christ Jesus unto good works.” God has, prior to our gift of salvation, “ordained that we should walk in them.”

If we have been saved, we will produce good works. The Apostle James says,

“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?

If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,

and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;

and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.

You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” (James 2:14-26 NASB)

Good works do not produce salvation, but salvation will most definitely produce good works. If there has not been a spiritual change in our life, we need to call upon God and see what is wrong. Two questions jump off the page: (1) Am I actually saved or (2) Am I saved but out of fellowship with God?

We often point to Acts 16:31 “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

“See! Just believe on Jesus and you’re saved!” That isn’t what is says. It says, “Believe on the LORD (emphasis mine) Jesus.” Anybody can believe on Jesus, but is Jesus their Lord? In the last sentence of James 2:14 James says, “Can THAT (emphasis mine) faith save him?” If the faith is real, Jesus is Lord. If the faith is not real (pseudo faith), Jesus is not Lord.

If our faith in Jesus is like the faith of the thief on the cross (Luke 23:39-43), then Jesus is the Lord of our life.

However, if it is like the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18ff), we have allowed something else to come between God and us. We want salvation, but only on our terms. Our faith is not real. At best, it is shallow and without earnest meaning.

It is very easy to get the cart before the horse when it comes to faith and works, and it must be understood that works do not produce faith. However, faith mostly certainly produces good works.

God’s grace, that cost Him so much, provides us the GIFT of salvation when our faith rests in His Son Jesus. From our devotion to Him, we gladly serve Him. He is our Savior and He is our Lord.

If Jesus isn’t important enough in our lives to serve Him, then for the sake of our eternal soul, we need to immediately do an inventory of our spiritual condition. We say we are a Christian. Are we serving Him? If not, get with God in prayer and find out why, and get it resolved. Let us not put off today what we can do tomorrow. We may not be here tomorrow. Do it now.

Read again what Dietrich Bonhoeffer said about cheap grace and costly grace, and ask yourself “Where do I stand?” That “gift” cost God the sacrifice of His only begotten Son. It wasn’t cheap, but it is free to all who call upon Him with a repentant heart.

Grant Phillips