The Important Aspects in Life

Read: 1 Peter 1:15-16

“For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:7

Our relationship with God or the world depends upon our faith in Jesus Christ. The depth of these relationships varies with how real our relationship is with Christ. If we are faithful to our calling and election, we will live in the pursuit of holiness. If we trust in the Lord with our whole heart, we do not rely on our human reasoning and we submit to the leading of God’s Holy Spirit in everything we say and do. As a result, God smoothes out the bumps in the road ahead of us and we see the spiritual fruit of our labor (Romans 8:28). We only die once, physically, because our spirit is already Born Again through faith in Christ Jesus (Proverbs 3:5-6; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:6,14). Our eternal destination is Heaven.

 

If we have a shallow, rocky or thorny relationship with Christ, then we will live for the world and pursue ungodly pleasures and reap destruction. If we chase carnal, fleshly gratification in the world, we harvest putrification and death both physically and spiritually. Most people in this world value their desires, material possessions, accomplishments, relationships and individual achievement more highly than their personal salvation. These people not only die physically, but they also die the second death of eternal damnation and end up in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14).

The important things in life will extend into eternity. Embrace the world to come, rather than the lures of the world we live in now. Bring an eternal perspective back into the focus of your life at this very moment. There may be many things to radically rearrange. Your priorities, values, concepts, goals and outlook on life may have to change. Turn your attention away from the busyness of life to what really matters. People in today's fast-paced culture do not stop long enough to contemplate the significant questions of life.

Look at the big picture. Our life on earth is a vapor of breath when compared to eternal life. God made us as eternal beings. We will live forever either in heaven or in hell. Keep this in perspective when you make your decisions from now on. There are no easy solutions to the problems we face in today’s society. There are more and more issues that we find it hard to fathom and to accept. Wickedness and deprivation are rampant and the hardships and anguish around us in the world are fatal.

People are the only part of our life here on earth that will enter eternity with us. Christians tend to value family, neighbors, workmates and associates as more important than non-Christians do. We consider their ultimate destiny and we do what we can to influence them to give God’s Truth a chance to come to dwell in their hearts as well. Physical death is the finale for every person on earth. Deciding to believe in and surrender our life to Christ is the only choice that will guarantee that we spend eternity in heaven (Ecclesiastes 7:2).

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, when we compare our life to the wicked, it feels like we are spending our time in worthless pursuits. It appears that they gain so much more than we do as we retain Godly morals, goals and value. Many of them have a much better life here on earth than we do (Psalm 73:13). However, when we come into Your presence through worship and thanksgiving for what You provide, we realize without any doubt that no earthly treasure or blessing could ever compare to the joys You set before us (Psalm 73:16-17).

 
Thought for the Day:
Your choices on earth determine your eternal destiny.

 

Saved or Not?

Read: Matt 7:21-23

“Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6

Because of Adam’s sin, every human being is born in sin. We all have a carnal, self-centered nature that has no desire to live righteously. Jesus came to die on the cross to blot out Satan’s legal charges against us. Then God gave us a share in the very life of Christ. He forgave all our sins by nailing them to Christ's cross. In this way God took away Satan's power to accuse us of our past sins, and at the same time He openly displayed to the whole world Christ's triumph at Calvary (Colossians 2:13-15).

One of Satan’s slickest tricks is to use his lie of condemnation to defeat us. God does not condemn us. He convicts us. Condemnation brings shame with no way out; but conviction brings guilt with a desire for repentance. Repentance means to turn away from sin toward the righteousness of God. Some people feel conviction and pray for salvation, but they continue to live in worldly pursuits and willful sin. Some even get more sinful in their thoughts and actions over the years. These people are not born again and they have a false hope of eternal salvation (Matthew 7:21-23).

Even though they responded to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, they never fully surrendered their will to God, nor did they enter into a personal relationship with our holy God. Their heart never changed. It is still deceitful and wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). They may even talk to God, read their Bible, attend church and serve in a ministry (Romans 3:21-22). The truth, however, is that they never totally surrendered their life to God or turned away from all of their sin. Even though they are doing good works, their spirit is still dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). They perform works of righteousness through self-effort instead of by the Spirit of God (Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9).

The Holy Spirit never breathed the breath of life into them and their spirit remains dead in sin (Job 32:8). They prayed a vain prayer and they gave God empty promises rather than authentic devotion. They still live for their own pleasure and give God a tip of their time and resources, rather than their full dedication. We can live our whole life thinking that we are going to heaven, when in the end, Jesus will tell us, “Depart from me, for I never knew you!” (Matthew 7:23).

So, how do we know if we are truly saved from hell and going to heaven? Take the Bible’s spiritual test to see if you really are a Christian. Do you feel Christ's presence and power growing within you more and more? Are you just pretending to be a Christian, when actually deep inside of you it is evident that you are just playing a game? (2 Corinthians 13:5-6; Lamentations 3:40-42). Do you feel like all your filthiness is washed away, or do you still regularly get sullied by sin? Has God given you a new heart, or do you still have the same cold, dead heart you always had? Is the Spirit of God within you, convicting you of sin and leading you throughout the day, or can you sin without conviction? Do you obey all of God’s Word, or do you pick and choose only parts of it that what you want to believe and follow? (Ezek 36:25-27).

We serve a Holy God who wants a holy people (1 Peter 1:16). We come to know Christ only through repenting from all of our willful sin and completely surrendering our life to Him. We allow God’s Spirit to convert our sinful nature to a spiritual one and to develop His spiritual fruit in us (Galatians 5:22-23). The process of God’s Spirit working holiness into our lives is called Sanctification. It takes a lifetime to accomplish this fully, but we can see the results a little more each day.

If we are living for God through our own effort, we are just self-righteous individuals who are trying in our own vain exploits to live a Christian life. If we are not washed clean by the blood of the Lamb, and do not have a new heart and righteous desires, we are actually not saved from hell and we are not going to heaven. We are not born again. So what do we do now? Truly repent and believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior and your Lord. Then fully surrender your life to Him and walk in His ways.

As you do this, the peace of God will rule in your heart. You will no longer be a stanger and foreigner but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household (Ephesians 2:19). You will have a heart full of gratitude and joy, and the word of Christ will dwell in you richly. You will sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with your whole heart, not just part of it. Eventually, you will also teach and admonish others with His wisdom. Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, you will do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God our Father (Colossians 3:15-18).

Prayer:

Father God, if I am not truly born again, if I have a false hope of going to heaven when I die, please convict me right now and lead me to true repentance. Give me Your Spirit to lead me into all truth and teach me Your ways. Help me to be holy, even as You are holy (1 Peter 1:16).

Thought for the Day:
“If in this life only, we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most miserable."
- 1 Corinthians 15: 19

 

Our Eternal Destiny

Read: Amos 8:11-12

God "wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." - 1 Timothy 2:4

Did you ever notice that when the economy of a nation is thriving and the people have few unmet needs, they are content and see little desire for a relationship with God? This happened in Amos’s day too. God chose Amos to preach a message to the house of Joseph (Amos 5:6). God was calling His people to return to Him. They had wandered far from His presence and exhibited no appetite for a life of worshipping the Lord. 

God urged people then and he still instructs us now to “…call on the name of the Lord and be saved" (Joel 2:32). He does not want anyone to perish, but for everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). However, most people harden their heart when they hear His voice (Hebrews 3:7-8). They want to retain control of their life and they see no need to trust in a higher power. With all of their efforts, they have no idea just how puny and insignificant their contribution to society really is. They seek pleasure only for the moment and overwork themselves in order to have more than their neighbors.

God's Word is so readily available that most people take it for granted. We are lulled to sleep by Satan’s deception and the world’s lure, as well as the lusts of our flesh, which follows hard after them. Our only hope is to shake off the shroud of complacency, stop taking God’s blessings for granted and start reading His Word with an avid appetite that is never satiated. Hungering and thirsting for righteousness (Matthew 5:6) will lead us to a closer walk with the Lord and an eternal destiny in heaven.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, help us to keep our eyes focused on Your kingdom rather than on the kingdoms of this world. Help us to remember that You are the source of every good and perfect gift; and that by serving You, we are guaranteed a place in your presence both now and forevermore. 

Thought for the Day:

Our eternal destiny is not the result of chance, but of our choices.