Can someone explain Luke 21:36 to me?

[Kknight]

If this belongs in apologetics rather than here, please feel free to move it.

My beliefs line up with the position of this board in that I believe that all born again believers will "escape" in the rapture, but I'm trying to figure out how these verses reconciles with that view:

Luke 21:36 - Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Can anyone enlighten me? Is this talking about "escaping" the tribulation, or am I misunderstanding it?

Thanks,
Kknight

[Keifer]

Luke 21:36 - Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Is this talking about "escaping" the tribulation...?

Yes.

[Kknight]

Yes.

I hope I'm not breaking any board rules by asking this, but wouldn't that seem to indicate that NOT all believers will escape in the rapture?

To be clear once again, "selective rapture" is not my belief, I'm just trying to reconciles this verse.

Thanks again,
Kknight

[Robbinson]

Scripture tells us that not all who consider themselves to be believers and "Chrsitians" are Christians. (Matthew 7:21: Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!')

[Keifer]

...wouldn't that seem to indicate that NOT all believers will escape in the rapture?

No, to be considered worthy is to be saved. At the Rapture, ALL of the saved are changed, not just 'some':

"Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed," (1 Corinthians 15:51 KJVR)

[good news]

You are reading way too much into this. Luke 21:34-35 is a warning not to neglect the spiritual and watch and pray always, then we can "escape all these things" -i.e., the tribulation and enter God's kingdom.

[countmeworthy]

When that Glorious day/moment arrives Kknight, we will definitely know whether every single believer is raptured or not.

The danger with assuming every single believer will be raptured is 'If I'm born again, I don't have to worry or do anything else. I can still live like I want to live.'

The bible warns us not to take our salvation lightly. ( I am NOT stating we can or will lose our salvation, nor am I saying not everyone born again will or will not be raptured !!!) But we are WARNED not to live like the world with sin being our lord.)

I for one, do not want to willfully live in my flesh. When I stand before the Judgment seat of Christ, I want the Judge to say 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. You were faithful in a few things, I will make you ruler over many. Enter into the joy of your Lord. (Matthew 25:21 & 23)

There will be rewards in how we lived our lives. God is not looking for spiritual giants. He is pleased with those who were faithful in a FEW things even.

One of the best ways for us to serve the Lord is to pray for the Peace of Jerusalem, for the church, ( our brothers & sisters in Christ) for our leaders, for people to come to KNOW the Lord, to read & meditate on the Word of God and to fellowship one with another AND to OBEY the Leading of the Holy Spirit.

I don't dwell on whether everyone will be raptured or not.

But I personally chose my moniker "Countmeworthy" from Luke 21:36 because I have a healthy fear of the Lord our God. :nod

Hebrews 10:31 tells us 'It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.'

And (1 Peter 4:17)
For the time has come for judgment to come first to the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

And one more 'warning' from 2 Peter 2:20-21:

For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.

21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.

Now you know why I have a HEALTHY fear of the LIVING GOD!

That said, my Christian walk is not motivated by FEAR. It is motavated by God's Love for me and my Love for HIM. :thumb :)

[Kknight]

Thank you all for the great replies! You've really helped to clarify this for me. ;)

[Justdust]

The danger with assuming every single believer will be raptured is 'If I'm born again, I don't have to worry or do anything else. I can still live like I want to live.'



The danger is all the "easy believism" and "false conversions".....not the ones that are truly "born again". We have the Holy Spirit to keep us in check if we're willing to be obedient. Not everyone who professes to believe has been "born again" of the spirit. Big difference. :thumb

[BlessedinHim]

The bible says you will know them by their fruit. If they are truly born again, that fruit will appear, and this fruit is not what we can do, but what Christ does through us. We cannot force this fruit.

Good fruit only comes from good trees.
Bad fruit only comes from bad trees.