Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.

And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. Luke 23:34-43

Jesus didn’t even give this man time to take a nap!

We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. II Corinthians 5:8

The promise of heaven and being present with the Lord immediately, is only given to believers.

Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the well. Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. Ecclesiastes 12:6&7

It is not clear (to me) whether this verse is addressing only believers or mankind in general. What is clear, is that there is a separation of the body and spirit at death.

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom (paradise/heaven): the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. Luke 16:19-24

It is also clear from this account of the rich man, that there is no intermediate state for the wicked either. The rich man died, was buried, and is in torment in the flames of hell.

When sleep is used as in the context of I Thessalonians 4:13-18, it is a metaphor for death.

…let the word of Christ dwell (take up its life) in you richly…

What is the difference between penance and repentance?

Instructions for Non-Catholics, a Roman Catholic training book, gives the following instructions concerning penance:

”In the sacrament of penance, God gives the priest the power to bring sinners back into the state of grace and to prevent them from falling into the abyss of hell. Moreover, after confession some temporal punishment due to sin generally remains, and some of this punishment is taken away in the penance (prayers) the priest gives you to say. You should perform other acts of penance also so that you can make up for the temporal punishment due to sin and to avoid a long stay in purgatory. The Church suggests to us these forms of penance: prayer, fasting, giving alms in the name of Christ, the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, the patient sufferings of the ills of life, and the gaining of indulgences” (p. 95). (Indulgences are remissions of so many days or months or years of punishment in purgatory.) [1]

The doctrine of penance teaches that what Christ did on the cross was not enough. Is this why the Church of Rome keeps Him on the cross and offers Him up over and over again in the performance of the Mass?Each performance of the Mass and each act of penance as temporal punishment also says that what the Church at Rome is doing is not enough either, else these would cease.

For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with the blood of another – He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Hebrews 9:24 & 25 NKJV

Then He said, ”Behold, I have come to do thy will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified (set apart) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified (set apart). Hebrews 10:9-14 NKJV

The teaching of penance does not liberate souls. Instead, it keeps them in bondage to an end that an individual can never achieve. This is the manmade doctrine of the Pharisees which Christ condemned. This teaching displays a fundamental misunderstanding and/or misrepresentation of repentance.

The Biblical position:

“Penance is a wholly different thing from Gospel repentance. Penance is an outward act; repentance is of the heart. Penance is imposed….; repentance is the work of the Holy Spirit. Penance is supposed to make satisfaction for sin. But nothing that the sinner can do or suffer can satisfy the divine justice. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can do that, and He did it once for all when He made atonement on the cross and completely satisfied the divine law. Penance is like that of the heathen religions, seeking to win forgiveness or deliverance from sin by self-inflicted or priest imposed punishment. Such are the tortures of Buddhist and Hindu devotees.

“What God desires in the sinner is not a punishment of oneself for sins, but a change of heart, a real forsaking of sin, shown by a new life of obedience to God’s commands.

“In short, penance is a counterfeit repentance. It is the work of man on his body; true repentance is the work of God in the soul. The divine Word commands: ’Rend your heart, and not your garments’ (Joel 2:13). Penance is ”rending the garments’; an outward form without inward reality, which Christ commands His people not to do” (Dr. Henry M Woods – Our Priceless Heritage, p. 132). [2]

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart – These, O God, You will not despise. Psalm 51:17

How can I change my heart? You can’t……you must be born again.

…let the word of Christ dwell (take up its life) in you richly…

[1] Roman Catholicism by Loraine Boettner – copyright 1962 by Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., distributed by Baker Book House – Grand Rapids, Michigan p.254

[2] Ibid., p. 256

The cross is empty and so is the tomb. So, where is He now?

But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; Hebrews 10:12

The Old Testament priests never sat down, because their work was never finished.

When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. John 19:30

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

Now where remission (forgiveness) of these (our sins and iniquities) is, there is no more offering for sin. Hebrews 10:16-18

…let the word of Christ dwell (take up its life) in you richly…

“Man of Sorrows!” what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
“Full atonement!” can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;
“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in Heaven exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew His song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Philip P. Bliss, pub.1875 – copyright status is Public Domain. Courtesy of Timeless Truths Publications – Copyright © 2002-2020 Free Online Library

The fossil record shows that there are billions of dead things buried in rock layers laid down by water all over the earth. If there were a universal flood, what would you expect to find? Billions of dead things buried in rock layers laid down by water all over the earth.*

* Ken Hamm – www.answersingenesis.org

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. II Peter 3:3-7

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. II Peter 3:10-13

“Global Burning” – Straight Answers about Creation by John MacArthur, copyright 2020 – pg 11.

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.

Refrain:
Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you and for me?

Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
Passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
Coming for you and for me.

Oh, for the wonderful love He has promised,
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.

Will L. Thompson, pub.1880, Public Domain. Courtesy of Timeless Truths Publications – Copyright © 2002-2020 Free Online Library

The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin. Deuteronomy 24:16

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

…let the word of Christ dwell (take up its life) in you richly…

How do you view Jesus the Christ?

Is He just another member of the team helping people get to heaven?

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

In your view does He just stand shoulder to shoulder with all other gods/religions? Are you fine with all other religions as long as they are sincere?

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:12

Does your religion encourage you to pray to and through anyone else other than Jesus Christ?

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; I Timothy 2:5

Are you part of a “secret” organization that encourages belief in God regardless of what faith is embraced? Do you consider those other members your brothers? Are you expected to accord those “brothers” special recognition and/or favor?

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? I Corinthians 6:14

If you answered “yes” to any of the questions above, did you know that you have denied the clear teaching of Scripture? To deny the clear teaching of Scripture is a manifestation of unbelief. Unbelief makes God a liar.

Does this cut your heart? What should you do? Repent – change your mind. Believe – take God at His Word. Obey – humble yourself and submit to HIm.

But as many as received Him (Jesus Christ), to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them who believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12 & 13

…let the word of Christ dwell (take up its life) in you richly…

Sin will take you farther than you want to go. Sin will keep you longer than you want to stay. Sin will cost you more than you want to pay.

Author Unknown

…let the word of Christ dwell (take up its life) in you richly…

…thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee…

If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence; If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;

If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;
And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:

This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above. Job 31:24-28