The Kingdom of Heaven is Like a Dragnet

August 15, 2009
Dear Fellow Travelers,
This is what Jesus said: “. . . the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down, and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. So it will be at the end of the age; the angels shall come forth, and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Have you understood these things” (Matthew 13:49-51a NASB).
Please take a minute to reread these words of Jesus, as they contain this very important and timely message: not everyone, who is caught in the dragnet of evangelism, is among the righteous—far from it. Notice that the dragnet gathers fish of every kind—both good fish and bad fish—but there will be a day of reckoning, even of weeping and gnashing of teeth, when the “good fish” will be eternally separated from the “bad fish.”
Notice, too, that there is no indication that the righteous and unrighteous should somehow live separately; in fact, the indication is that we will remain together until the end of the age, until the “day of reckoning.” Obviously, Jesus practiced what He preached, as he was labeled a glutton and a winebibber, as one who socialized with sinners.
It is also important to note that angels will do the separating, not the good fish! In other words, it is not the job of the “good fish” to judge who is and who is not among the righteous. Thankfully, God left in more capable hands! If you are already in this business, I suggest that you hang a “closed” sign on the front door, and get out of the business-sooner, rather than later.
As you can see (though most want to ignore it!), the penalty for being a “bad fish” is rather severe, albeit, very just (which you will not see, unless you are one of the “good fish” who has eyes to see). Even the thought of being cast into the furnace of fire should be motivation enough, but God’s elect are not motivated into His Kingdom by fear, or anything else for that matter; instead, they are “caught” in His dragnet.
Now, listen up: Paul in Galatians, chapter one, made it very, very clear that there is but one gospel—the gospel he preached—and he made it just as clear that, if anyone (including Paul, even angels) should preach a gospel (which is really no gospel) contrary to the one he preached, he should be accursed (eternally separated from God!). From what I can see, this means that it is very important, life and death important, that each of us be certain that we believe the very same gospel Paul preached.
With that I am going out on a limb and make this prediction: At the end of the age, on the “day of reckoning,” when the “good fish” are separated from the “bad fish,” when the righteous are separated from the unrighteous, two things will be obvious: (1) everyone of the righteous will believe the very same gospel that Paul preached; (2) the unrighteous, regardless of what they believe, will be cast into THE furnace of fire.
Now I have two questions:
1. Do you understand these things (His disciples said they did, but I doubt it!)?
2. Do you believe the gospel that Paul preached, the very same gospel that he preached (if you aren’t sure, I highly recommend that you take the time to be sure, as it is a life and death matter—no fooling!)?

“Take My yoke (teaching) upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30).