World News General Non-Religious > General

Absent from the body, present with the Lord

(1/1)

thorndale:
I had a question about where did Jesus go, after His death? I think I answered my own question through prayer and Bible study over the Easter weekend?

I am persuaded now that Christ after His death and finished work on the cross, descended in to a compartment in hell known as paradise ( Abraham's Bosom - Sheol etc ) and remained there until Resurrection Sunday. On Resurrection Sunday, along with Christ resurrection, this compartment in hell was raised up into Heaven with all the souls of the believers who died before the finished work of Jesus on the cross and the age of Grace. Now when Paul teaches, after the finished work on the cross, and the age of Grace, "absent from the body, present with the Lord", he is referring to the Paradise raised by Christ up to Heaven and now in the presence of the risen Lord. Hopefully I am getting this correct?

John, A work in progress!

Fat:
Hi John

Just a thought, could this be a time that He could have opened up the offer of grace to those faithful that were pre resurrection a chance to except His offer of grace?
Fat

thorndale:
That is an interesting thought that I did not consider?

My limited understanding on the issue of salvation/justification is that Abram was justified because he believed in God.
                                                                                                     Peter (steeped in the law ) was justified because he believed Jesus was the Messiah + baptism etc.
                                                                                                     Paul teaches, based on divine revelation by God, that salvation is accomplished by the Faith/Belief plus nothing else, in the following three elements of faith/belief, 1) That Jesus was born, 2) Jesus was crucified and died ( paid the only acceptable price for the forgiveness of all sins, past, present and future and 3) was raised from the dead and appeared to many, to verify that everything in the Scriptures and Jesus life and teachings were true and could be trusted. 

If this is the case, I would think that all the pre finished work on the cross believers, other than the two I read about in the scriptures who were taken directly up into heaven above, were saved/justified and placed in Paradise to await the final payment/ransom for their sins to be elevated into the presence of the Lord. I don't think anything else would be required because of their faith? The finished work on the cross was hidden from them for God's good reasons and only their faith was required.

At any rate, that is my understanding? John

 

Fat:
Concerning the salvation of the old prophets two New Testament verses comes to mind.



“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”
ROMANS‬ 10:17‬ NASB‬‬

“Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
JOHN‬ 14:6‬ NASB‬‬


Before Christ the Jew believe that the Christ would be a King that would lead them to freedom from Rome or any other oppressors. They did not understand that He would offer them eternal life.

Like I said it is just a thought.

Navigation

[0] Message Index