Which is staggering.
Why wouldn't any sane reasonable person not want to avoid such a horrific time of God's judgment in which they are most likely going to die a very unpleasant death?????
And why the derision for those who hope to avoid it? Are they masochists or gluttons for punishment or what?
We're not looking to avoid it because we are weak or cowards or whatever they want to accuse us of.
We expect to avoid it because as born again believers, we are not appointed to judgment, we have passed from death into life and have already had our sins judged. We don't need to pay for them or be subject to judgement to get our attention to come to Christ. We're already there.
All the reasons God brings judgment on people do NOT apply to Christians. We are clothed in Christ's righteousness and God sees us in the sinless perfection of Jesus. What is there to judge or *purify*?
“Why wouldn’t any sane reasonable person not want to avoid such a horrific time of God’s judgment in which they are most likely going to die a very unpleasant death?????”
—Because they allow the enemy to fill their heads with lies. The box God in and don’t think He can or will do what He has always done to His People, which is Save Them.
“And why the derision for those who hope to avoid it? Are they masochists or gluttons for punishment or what?”
—Pride and again the enemy influencing and infiltrating the minds of Christians not willing to read and study His Word regarding the issue. Heck most churches now accept LGBTQP’s, why not accept the attitude that the PreTrib Rapture is a “lie”?
“What is there to judge or *purify*?”
—The evil unbelieving world and Israel. The Tribulation is not for Christ’s Bride - the Church.
These people actually don’t say it, but they articulate and think that Christ must be Re-Crucified for His People.
This is exactly how they think.
“They truly want to go through the Tribulation.”
Not true. Christ did not want to drink the cup of suffering but surrendered to it as the will of the Father.
“And why the derision for those who hope to avoid it? Are they masochists or gluttons for punishment or what?”
No. I understand that the good news of the Gospel is accompanied by the sound doctrine that believers will follow in Christ’s steps. And this includes mandatory tribulation, persecution, and affliction.
“We expect to avoid it because as born again believers, we are not appointed to judgment, we have passed from death into life and have already had our sins judged. We don’t need to pay for them or be subject to judgement to get our attention to come to Christ.”
Would this statement NOT apply to the followers of Christ who clearly, even by your own admission, are suffering for Him during the tribulation period?
Matthew 24:9 NKJV
Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.
Revelation 6:9 NKJV
When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.
Why would your argument against us not going through this persecution not also apply to the followers of Christ who do go through it?
Do they want to go through while we wisely don’t? Do we escape by grace while they are saved by law-keeping? Are they “masochists or gluttons for punishment”?
“All the reasons God brings judgment on people do NOT apply to Christians.”
Is the fifth seal in Revelation an example of God’s wrath? Do some followers of Jesus experience His wrath while we supposedly cannot go through the Great Tribulation because it is God’s wrath?