You have stated that everyone who is ‘saved’, has accepted Jesus’ marvelous sacrifice and depends entirely on His finished work for salvation, will be taken in the Rapture, and I agree. My question concerns Luke 21:36 where Jesus says ‘to keep awake and pray always that you may be ACCOUNTED WORTHY to escape all these things and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man”. This seems to say that there is something we have to do to be accounted worthy, would you explain this? Also, do you see a connection between this passage and I Thess. 5:23,24 ?
Numerous verses tell us the only work God requires of us is to believe in the one He sent (John 3:16, John 6:28-29, John 6:40, Romans 10:9, etc). Therefore, our belief that Jesus died for our sins and rose again is the only thing that can make us worthy.
1 Thes 5:23-24 reads as follows;
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
Paul was speaking a benediction to the Church in Thessalonica. His prayer was that God would do for them all that He promised, and included the reassurance that being faithful, God would do just that. It is He who sanctifies us (1 Cor. 6:11), and it is He who keeps us blameless (Ephes. 5:25-27).
If Luke 21:36 means more than belief is required, then it would contradict 1 Thes 5:23-24 as well as the other verses I cited. But if belief is all that’s required, it doesn’t. Therefore, since the Bible, being the Word of God, cannot be self contradictory 1 Thes 5:23-24 confirms that Luke 21:36 equates worthiness with belief.