Without Spot Or Wrinkle
From Ask a Bible Teacher. http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher
Q. I have a pastor friend who says the rapture is a ways off. His reasoning is that Christ said He was coming back for a church without spot or wrinkle and the present day church is no where near that. Any light that you can shed on this verse would be greatly appreciated. My son and daughter-in-law attend his church and anytime that I bring up how close we are to the rapture they use this argument.
A. In the first place, Jesus never made a statement like that. But to be free from spot or wrinkle means to be free from any and all sin, holy and blameless. Your pastor friend apparently doesn’t believe that the church was made pure, without spot or wrinkle, at the cross (Colossians 2:13-14) even though it’s the only way for sinful man to become so.
No one would argue that Paul, who used the phrase without spot or wrinkle in Ephes 5:27, was himself impure. And yet he said he couldn’t keep himself from sinning (Romans 7:18-20). He said we’ve been given a righteousness apart from the Law that comes from God through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe (Romans 3:21-22). Apart from the Law means apart from our behavior.
If your friend believes the Lord won’t come until we’re worthy, then he’s really saying the Lord will never come, because we can never be worthy.
From Ask a Bible Teacher. http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher
Q. I have a pastor friend who says the rapture is a ways off. His reasoning is that Christ said He was coming back for a church without spot or wrinkle and the present day church is no where near that. Any light that you can shed on this verse would be greatly appreciated. My son and daughter-in-law attend his church and anytime that I bring up how close we are to the rapture they use this argument.
A. In the first place, Jesus never made a statement like that. But to be free from spot or wrinkle means to be free from any and all sin, holy and blameless. Your pastor friend apparently doesn’t believe that the church was made pure, without spot or wrinkle, at the cross (Colossians 2:13-14) even though it’s the only way for sinful man to become so.
No one would argue that Paul, who used the phrase without spot or wrinkle in Ephes 5:27, was himself impure. And yet he said he couldn’t keep himself from sinning (Romans 7:18-20). He said we’ve been given a righteousness apart from the Law that comes from God through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe (Romans 3:21-22). Apart from the Law means apart from our behavior.
If your friend believes the Lord won’t come until we’re worthy, then he’s really saying the Lord will never come, because we can never be worthy.
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