What the Bible Says about Your Future

Biblical Prophecies for Every Believer

John F. Walvoord

• Publisher: David C Cook
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781434710642
• eBook ISBN: 9781434711557
• Topic: Theologie & Religion
• Subtopic: Christliche Theologie

For readers of Tim LaHaye and John Hagee comes a thoughtful exploration of what happens in eternity. Relying on key biblical prophecies, renowned scholar Dr. John F. Walvoord explains what the Bible teaches about heaven and hell, how life on earth affects life in heaven, why God gives both judgment and grace, and how Christians can find comfort amid earthly suffering. What the Bible Says About Your Future opens a door for God to speak to readers' hearts and minds about their heavenly future. Here they will find hope in knowing that God cares deeply about them—now and forever.

1

From This Point Forward

A Timeline of the Believer’s Life

Each of God’s children is unique—a creation completely distinct from any other throughout history. Our loving Creator has designed every individual to be “one of a kind”—a singular blend of talents, tendencies, and personality traits. Still, there are some milestones that all believers will experience as members of God’s family.

1. Fallenness

Since the fall of mankind, each and every person has been born with sin in his heart. This means that we are born into a broken relationship with God. Psalm 51:5 puts it this way: “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”

God, in His great love and compassion, did not desire for people to remain at odds with Him. Over and over again, He extended His hand to the people of Israel, attempting to restore relationship with them. Yet there was no sacrifice great enough to wash away their sins for all time. God had a solution in mind, and it would come at the cost of the ultimate sacrifice.

Romans 6 describes the great penalty of sin—and God’s even greater power:

When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (vv. 20–23)

2. Repentance

One of the most pivotal moments in a person’s life is when he decides to turn away from sin and seek God’s path instead. This rejection of the former ways of life is necessary for a person to be ready for a lifetime of submission to our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul said, “I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:21). Later, he wrote, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (2 Cor. 7:10). Without true repentance, faith is not possible. Dwelling in sin is incompatible with living a life of faithfulness. It is only after we have turned away from our sinful selves and declared that God’s ways are right that we are ready to be welcomed into His family.

3. Baptism

There is some debate among Christians about when and how baptism should occur. What is clear is that baptism is a significant event in the life of a believer, marking the rejection of sin and the declaration of rebirth in Christ.

In Acts 2:38, Peter proclaimed, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

During baptism, the Holy Spirit fills the believer. But what happens next? How does baptism affect the rest of a believer’s life? Scripture describes the many roles of the Holy Spirit, but it’s clear that the primary function of the Holy Spirit is to enable a believer to live a new life, characterized by purity and Christlikeness.

The apostle Paul provides this insight:

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Rom. 6:1–4)

Thankfully, our sinful nature, which is spiritually toxic and leads to everlasting death, is washed away through baptism.

4. The Journey

The specifics of your life story—the highs and lows, sorrows and joys—will be as wonderful and mysterious as the Author of life Himself. No one else will ever have your exact story. But there are some themes that others will also share: loss, restoration, joy, and grief, to name a few. As the author of Ecclesiastes wisely observed, life will include many ups and downs, twists and turns:

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace. (3:1–8)

Scripture gives the assurance that through it all God will always be faithful, a trustworthy Father through all the experiences we encounter. The Holy Spirit living within us will supply wisdom and comfort. Here is an overview of what you can anticipate experiencing over the course of your lifetime.

Trials

Times of adversity and difficulty are inevitable in life, and these come in many forms; job loss, failing health, financial hardship, and strained relationships are just a few of the ways we can be tried and tested. Trials are a necessary part of strengthening our faith. The ultimate goal is to produce a trust in Jesus so strong that it can withstand any earthly difficulty. A faith like this will help us stand firm in life as we prepare for eternity with Him.

The apostle Peter explained the value of earthly afflictions and struggles:

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Pet. 1:6–9 ESV)

During times of hardship, it can be easy to lose sight of God’s purpose for our lives. After all, we tend to believe that when things are going well, God must be pleased with us. By extension, if times are hard, it must be true that He is displeased. But Scripture actually refutes this line of thinking and often asserts just the opposite. As Paul assured us,

We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Rom. 5:2–5 ESV)

When viewed through this lens, it becomes clear that Jesus has redeemed even our sufferings. Our trials are not wasted; rather, they cultivate hopefulness in our hearts. Not only that, but they lead to another valuable aspect of the Christian life: transformation.

Transformation

Baptism is a onetime event in the Christian’s life, but repentance is an ongoing practice we must adopt for the rest of our lives. Repentance keeps our hearts soft to the teachings of God through His Word, as well as to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Confessing our sins to one another and to God opens the door for the transformation of our hearts and minds. As Paul astutely described in his letter to the Colossians,

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. (Col. 3:5–10)

Renewal in the knowledge of God is the mark of a true believer. You can count on the Holy Spirit transforming you into a be...

Table of contents

• Note from the Publisher: God’s Grace Guarantees a Fabulous Future
• 1. From This Point Forward: A Timeline of the Believer’s Life
• 2. Lessons from the Rabbi: Insights from the Teachings and Examples of Jesus
• 3. Rapture Ready: You Could Be Taken Out of the World
• 4. Joy to the World: Believers Will Enjoy a Thousand Years of Peace on Earth
• 5. Reckoning and Recompense: Judgment Day with a Gracious God
• 6. Receive Your Full Reward: Good Things Come to Those Who Faithfully Serve
• 7. Home, Sweet Home: Eternity in a Place We Can Hardly Imagine
• 8. Words to Live By: Promises from the Ultimate Promise Keeper
• 9. Now and Then: How You Live Today Affects Your Life Tomorrow
• Appendix: O Death, Where Is Thy Sting? What Scripture Says about Dying
• Bonus Content: “Before we begin” and Chapter 1 from … End Times Prophecy
• Bonus Content: Chapter 1 from … EVERY PROPHESY ABOUT JESUS