The Firewall
In computing, a firewall is a network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. A firewall typically establishes a barrier between a trusted network and an untrusted network, such as the Internet. (Wikipedia.org)
A firewall, in this sense, prohibits unwanted or dangerous information from passing to or from your computer. Without it, anyone can send destructive or malicious data into your computing system and thereby cause damage or loss.
Did you know that God has a firewall?
There must be an outer “court” which saved earth persons occasionally visit and which Satan enters as prosecutor. People occasionally claim to visit heaven. I believe it may be this outer court or lobby. There is however a firewall which prevents anything unholy or incomplete from entering the Holy City or heaven itself.
Nothing unholy or unlike God can enter into the things of God or His perfect places. Nothing unlike God can stand before His unapproachable light. Nothing imperfect can enter into heaven because heaven would soon become hell. Anything corrupt would soon ruin heaven as it has everything else. Besides, the brightness of God's glory would vaporize anything in His immediate manifest presence that is non-eternal.
Wait. Does that leave much hope of us humans entering the great things of God? It should cause some concern if we actually realize what we are. God can forgive us for evil that we have done. He cannot forgive us for what we are.
God cannot fix or re-manufacture us. The only solution is death.
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Th 5:23)
This was the desire of Paul, that everyone would enter into the eternal things of God complete, whole, and entire. He did not want anyone coming through into the eternal things of God like an amputee; someone without aspects of their being they are supposed to have. His desire was that everyone would be able to enjoy God in fullness. There is just one problem. Getting through the firewall.
The natural man cannot get through at all.
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. (Rev 22:15)
The unsaved cannot even hope to enter in. It is not so much what they have done as it is who they are. But this is where every one of us was, before Jesus rescued us from such a destiny. You and I, as Christians, are going to pass through the firewall. It is going to destroy everything that is unlike God. Again, referring to Paul's prayer, may we all arrive on the other side of the firewall complete, with minimal loss. Thankfully, God has a plan for this to be possible.
When we trust Christ for salvation we are made new.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2Cor 5:17)
This is made possible by death. Jesus' death bought new life for us if we will respond to this good news in faith. But if you have noticed, our body is still the same. Our soul or inner self awareness is still the same, for the most part. Paul's prayer was that we would be complete, spirit, soul, and body at the appearing of Jesus, when He comes again.
It is in the spirit that we have been made new. Our old spirit has died and been buried, with Christ.
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him...(Rom 6:6)
Everything in our old natural spirit is gone and now, everything is new. Not remanufactured, but a different spirit that never existed before.
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (Eph 4:24)
The reborn human spirit is complete (Col 2:10). Sin and evil cannot touch it. When this new reborn spirit enters the nuclear furnace of the intensity of God's brightness, it is not harmed. Why? Because it is just like God's nature. The reborn spirit loves it there. The fire cannot find anything to consume because it is complete. It is like God entirely. The prayer of Paul finds part of its answer here because the spirit is complete, with no part of it contaminated.
Of course, we do not pass through the firewall in pieces. We are one person with three elements, spirit, soul, and body. Paul prayed that we would be entire. The spirit will pass through the firewall complete, suffering no loss.
We are also made with another aspect which is the body. As we are right now, it is not possible to enter the Holy City with this present body. It is corrupt. It is unlike God's nature. It is temporal. However, our body is scheduled for transformation someday.
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1Cor 15:52)
When Jesus comes again for His Church, those who were Christians but died will be raised with incorruptible bodies. Those who are alive when Jesus returns will be changed physically. We are told we will be just like Jesus in His bodily nature ( I John 3:2). Therefore, the new resurrection body, along with the new reborn spirit, will be thrilled to be in the fire of God because those 2 elements of our being will be completely like the nature of God.
Note: The resurrection bodies of the saints will be different from one another in glory or in their individual “brightness” but they are all like Jesus in their nature (1Cor 15:41-42a).
Just as Paul prayed for completeness, the reborn spirit and the resurrection body will be entire. If it is guaranteed, why bother to pray for it? Because there is a third element of the human being, the soul. This aspect of our being is not promised to be complete.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,...(Rom 12:2)
This is a command directed at the individual to be transformed by renewing your mind. This is something we do or fail to do. How do we renew our mind? By exchanging our naturally occurring ideas and thoughts for the thoughts of God. We must develop a Biblical worldview. This is done by the process of repentance. This does not mean crying and bemoaning our state, although that may occur. It means seeing our opinions and worldview as wrong. We determine to forsake these thoughts and adopt what the Bible says on the subject. It is a change of opinion and a change of mind.
We may engage in lusting after our “digital harem” of multiple images of women. Then we see that Jesus says that even departing from adoring our covenant wife in our thoughts, as the only woman for us, is a major crime (Matt 5:28). We then decide to forsake our previous habit of indiscriminately worshiping the female form. In its place we desire to follow the words of Jesus, with His help. This is called repentance. It may be unemotional. It may simply involve the the desire to change and follow the words of Jesus.
We hear that we should consider others better than ourselves (Php 2:3). We read that we should look to the well being of others, not just our own concerns (Gal 6:2). We understand that it is a command from Jesus that we are to love one another (John 15:12). If we consider our own habitual attitude of selfishness, we can ask for God's help in displacing our old natural thoughts with these thoughts from God.
This is renewing our mind. It brings about transformation. This will help preserve our soul, technically speaking. Think God's thoughts.
Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. (1Cor 3:13)
In the Great Evaluation, that every one of us must go through (II Cor 5:10), we will pass through God's “firewall”. Our reborn spirit loves it there. Our new resurrection body feels at home in the fire of God's presence.
However, those things that may be unlike God, that cannot survive the fire of God, exist in our soul. They are the thoughts and opinions that are in opposition to the opinions of God, the Word of God. What will happen to them?
Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it;...(Lu 17:33)
Those things that we hold on to will be destroyed. God is not giving us a theological test. It's deliberate, intentional disobedience, not innocent ignorance, that is evaluated here.
We will all pass through the firewall. Every one of us has an appointment there. Our spirit will pass through invigorated. Our body will pass through with joy because it is our Father's manifest nature that we will walk through. Our soul will pass through and only those things that we have allowed to be changed to agree with God's words will survive. Everything else will be destroyed, like a decontamination chamber. These are such things as:
Memories of names of unsaved family and friends.
Memory of sins of our own doing.
Memory of abuse and evil from others.
Knowledge of the former things.
If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (1Cor 3:15)
This evaluation is mainly for the purpose of granting rewards for how we have served Christ after we have been saved. As we are to enter into the great things of Christ's Kingdom, I believe God will also use this time to finally deliver us from all that which is contrary to Him. We then will enter into the eternal things of God complete; as complete as we allowed God to be in our lives. Some will experience minimal loss. Others suffer the loss of potential rewards, even up to the loss of nearly everything except for the barest essence of ourselves. Hence, Paul's cry that we may be complete at the coming of Jesus Christ.
The bad news is really bad. The good news is nearly too good to be true. Determine today to have a new attitude (which is the definition of the word repent). Consider God as true and every man a liar, by comparison (Rom 3:4). When you see or hear something from the Word of God that conflicts with your current opinion, have a change of mind instantly. You may not understand completely what you read nor may you be able to find an example that illustrates this new truth in your past experience, yet you must agree with God regardless.
Actually, it is not the parts of God's Word we do not understand that cause us trouble. It is the parts that we do see clearly that hinder us, when we do not want to acknowledge them.
No person reading this article has had the final evaluation happen to them yet. There is still time to change our thoughts and agree with God.
Look forward, with peace, to passing through the firewall of God.
Dec. 15, 2023