Although we have the whole Bible in front of our eyes—thus, “all the Bible is to us,” that doesn’t mean that it all applies to us—thus, “not all the Bible is for us.”

Along theses lines, I ask brothers and sisters in Christ all the time why they aren’t out building a big boat.  When they look at me oddly, I say that Noah spent a hundred years to build his.  And, he got his whole family involved in his endeavor. 

We aren’t building an Ark, because, even though it’s in the Bible, it’s not for us to do, today.  In the same breath, yesterday, after a rainy afternoon, when the rain subsided and the clouds were brooding in the sky, my wife yelled out to our children, “Look up, there’s a rainbow.”  Well, anyone that has ever read and believed Genesis 9:11-17 knows that God put that promise in the Bible for all subsequent readers to know, even though He will destroy the Earth, again, one day, by fire (II Peter 3:10-14), He won’t ever destroy it, again, by water.

What am I saying?  You can read all about the flood in the Bible and even see—with your own eyes—God’s promise in the sky, but, we aren’t Ark builders.  We are in a different time period.  We are somewhere after the cross of Christ and before He comes back to reign on this Earth.

Anyone reading the General Epistles knows that they were written after Christ died.  That much is clear.  But, someone who was responsible for correlating the New Testament had enough sense to bracket these eight books (including the book of Hebrews) by themselves and place them after the Gospels—and, more particularly, after Paul’s writings and before the Book of Revelation.  They did that because they saw that these books teach an element of works for salvation, enduring unto “the end,” keeping the commandments, being “unspotted” from the world, and, if someone doesn’t continue in their faith, loss of salvation.  That being said, it's, also, clear that these Books don't align with Paul's writings.  They differ, especially, in the doctrines of Soteriology.  

Granted, since these books were written AFTER the death burial and resurrection of Christ, they have an application to a Christian in this dispensation.  But, once they cross the line of doctrinal application for someone in the church age, they—bracketed off, by the Holy Spirit, in the New Testament writings, so that we would see them grouped together, by themselves—must be applied to someone after the church is raptured out (Revelation 4:1), in the next time period, called the Tribulation (Matthew 24:21, Revelation 7:14).

I hope this helps.

Pastor Bob

Addendum:

One thing to remember, is, just like God made provision in His word for us in the church age, He also made provision for those in the future, after the church is removed to Heaven.  There are plenty of verses in the New Testament dedicated to people who will go through a different set of circumstances and rules then that we are under today. What might be applicable to us under grace, in the Kingdom of God, might not be applicable right after the Church of God is gone and right before the Kingdom of Heaven appears.  Remember, those seven years will be a time governed under the Antichrist, when someone has to refuse his mark in order to be saved. 

Clearly, during this time period, there will be an element of works that will accompany someone’s salvation.

“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”  Revelation 14:12

“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”  Revelation 12:17

“But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”  Matthew 24:13