"It is a direct indication from God. The Christian gladiator does not anxiously await the signal of life or death from the fickle crowd"

(Lightfoot's commentary regarding Philippians 1:28)

Philippians 1:27  

                           "Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ:.....that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;  28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

 29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

 30 Having the same conflict which ye saw in me"

John MacArthur on the Whole Picture of God's plan of salvation

"The idea of a wrathful God goes against the wishful thinking of fallen human nature and is even a stumbling block to many Christians. Much contemporary evangelism talks only about abundant life in Christ, the joy and blessings of salvation, and the peace with God that faith in Christ brings. All of those benefits do result from true faith, but they are not the whole picture of God’s plan of salvation. The corollary truth of God’s judgment against sin and those who participate in it must also be heard.

For Paul, fear of eternal condemnation was the first motivation he offered for coming to Christ, the first pressure he applied to evil men. He was determined that they understand the reality of being under God’s wrath before he offered them the way of escape from it. That approach makes both logical and theological sense. A person cannot appreciate the wonder of God’s grace until he knows about the perfect demands of God’s law, and he cannot appreciate the fullness of God’s love for him until he knows something about the fierceness of God’s anger against his sinful failure to perfectly obey that law. He cannot appreciate God’s forgiveness until he knows about the eternal consequences of the sins that require a penalty and need forgiving."

John MacArthur Commentary on Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in ungodliness,  (Chicago: Moody Press) 1983.

A.W. Tozer on the Mercy of God

   'There has been a lot of careless teaching that implies that the Old Testament is a book of severity and law, and that the New Testament is a book of tenderness and grace.  But DO YOU KNOW that while both the Old and New Testament declare the mercy of God, the word mercy appears in the Old Testament over four times more often than in the New? That's a bit hard to believe, but it's true.

This popular idea (that the God of the Old Testament has somehow changed His ways in the New Testament) is a great ERROR because the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New is one God.  He did not change.  He is the same God and, being the same God and not changing, He must therefore necessarily be the same in the Old as He is in the New.  He is immutable, and because He is perfect He cannot be added to.  God's mercy was just as great in the Old Testament as it was in the New."   

A.W. Tozer, The Attributes of God volume 1, page 77&78, ISBN0-87509-708-1

J.I. Packer on the Grace of God

  “Those who suppose that the doctrine of God’s grace tends to encourage MORAL LAXITY (‘final salvation is certain anyway, no matter what we do; therefore our conduct doesn’t matter’) are simply showing that, in the most literal sense, they do not know what they are talking about.”

Knowing God, J.I. Packer, pg. 124

 R.A. Torrey on Preaching about Hell and Damnation

   "I know that if a man stands squarely upon the teaching of Christ and the apostles and declares it without fear, he will be called "narrow," "harsh," and "cruel." But I have no desire to be any more broad than Jesus Christ was.  Is it cruel to tell men the truth?  The kindest thing that one can do is to declare the whole counsel of God and show men the full measure of their danger."

 R.A. Torrey, Heaven or Hell pg.34

  Quote from Sermon titled Ten Shekels and a Shirt

by Paris Reidhead

NOW I ASK YOU WHAT IS THE PHILOSOPHY OF MISSIONS?

WHAT IS THE PHILOSOPHY OF EVANGELISM?

WHAT IS THE PHILOSOPHY OF A CHRISTIAN?

If you'll ask me why I went to Africa, I'll tell you I went primarily to improve on the justice of God. I didn't think it was right for anybody to go to Hell without a chance to be saved. So I went to give poor sinners a chance to go to heaven. Now I haven't put it in so many words, but if you'll analyze what I just told you do you know what it is? Humanism.

That I was simply using the provisions of Jesus Christ as a means to improve upon human conditions of suffering and misery. And when I went to Africa, I discovered that they weren't poor, ignorant, little heathen running around in the woods looking for someone to tell them how to go to heaven. That they were MONSTERS OF INIQUITY !!! WERE LIVING IN UTTER A

They deserved Hell! Because they utterly refused to walk in the light of their conscious, and the light of the law written upon their heart, and the testimony of nature, and the truth they knew!

And when I found that out I assure you I was so angry with God that on one occasion in prayer I told Him it was a mighty ...... little thing He'd done, sending me out there to reach these people that were waiting to be told how to go to heaven.

When I got there I found out they knew about heaven, and didn't want to go there, and that they loved their sin and wanted to stay in it.

I went out there motivated by humanism.

I'd seen pictures of lepers, I'd seen pictures of ulcers, I'd seen pictures of native funerals, and I didn't want my fellow human beings to suffer in Hell eternally after such a miserable existence on earth.

But it was there in Africa that God began to tear THROUGH THE OVERLAY OF THIS HUMANISM!

And it was that day in my bedroom with the door locked that I wrestled with God. For here was I, coming to grips with the fact that the people I thought were ignorant and wanted to know how to go to heaven and were saying "Someone come and teach us", actually didn't want to take time to talk with me or anybody else. st in the Bible and no interest in Christ, and they loved their sin and wanted to continue in it.

By: Erwin W. Lutzer on the FALSE JESUS

Senior Pastor of Moody Bible Church, Chicago, Illinois

“At Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, I met a woman reading The Prayer of Jabez, so I asked her about her religious convictions.  She said that she was a Mormon and was reading the book because she was beginning a new business and wanted God to bless it.  When I told her that she must trust Christ, she said, “Jesus…..we all serve Jesus, and there is only one Jesus, isn’t there?”

        No, I explained, there are many Jesuses in the world.

 The new Age Movement believes in the Cosmic Jesus who indwells everyone.  

There is the ‘Santa Clause’ Jesus of some (false) preachers, who gives blessings to all without discrimination, regardless of a person’s LIFESTYLE or religion….

        The false Jesus of the Apostle Paul’s day was not off in a corner, the creation of some strange cult.  This was a Jesus that was proclaimed, a Jesus that was preached within the church.  This Jesus was enough like the true Jesus that Paul feared that the people could not tell the difference. see 2 Cor 11:4-5

  Many proclaim a Jesus who will give you gifts and blessings, he is the Jesus of prosperity…

Many proclaim a JESUS WHO LOVES EVERYONE IN THE SAME WAY AND WOULD NEVER SEND ANYONE TO HELL.

What they do not emphasize is the Jesus who died on the cross to reconcile us to God, The One who will return in judgment upon all who do not obey the gospel.”

2 Thes 1:7-10 "....when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,  8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:  9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints,

By: Erwin W. Lutzer

Senior Pastor of Moody Bible Church, Chicago, Illinois

This passage can be found on pages 92-93 in the book titled: Who Are You to JUDGE, Learning to Distinguish Between Truths, Half-Truths and LIES, Moody Press, 2002 ISBN 0-8024-0943-1

(What about  the "loving", "user friendly" version of Jesus tha we hear about in most pulpits acrosss America these days? He is presented as havng this unconditional love where He acceptes people just as they are.  It's as if He is levitating in the middle of the room somewhere, with a big smile on His face and His arms opened wide, clothed in His white robe and looking down upon the congregation of hypocrites with pleasure and satisfaction, with a bleeding heart and tears running down His face....crying out to all the hypocrites "can't you see that I love you my dear children, I know you are hurting so I have come with my Christian psychology and compassion and I want to heal you of your hypocricy and adultery and your homosexuality." give me a break already.....READ THE BIBLE!  You won't find a single instance of Jesus looking at someone and saying "Oh, dear sinner-man don't you know that I love you")