Eternal life isn't dying and then going to heaven, eternal life is knowing God. Do you know God? Are you prepared to meet God? How do you know God and how do you prepare to meet God? First you must repent of your sins and then you must believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for you, was buried, and was raised on the third day. All you need to do is receive Jesus Christ in to your life and humbly accept with an empty hand his gift of righteousness and forgiveness of sins. Eternal life begins the moment you know Jesus and if you don't want Jesus now, then you won't want him then. The knowledge of God. That is where it all begins. It is the greatest pursuit any individual can ever engage in. On this lifelong pursuit, the more you begin to know Jesus, the more you would love Him, the more you love Him, the more you will be able to trust Him. The more you trust Jesus, the more you would obey him. And when you obey Jesus, you would simply be blessed because Jesus said in John 13:17-"If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."
Grow in the Knowledge of God-
The apostle Peter urges those who have began to know God to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
So what are you pursuing after? Is it pleasures? Is it possessions? or is it popularity? Try as you might like Solomon who had more riches than Bill gates, was more popular than Justin Beiber, and had more woman than Hugh Hefner but I guarantee you on the authority of God's Word that you will never find a greater purpose or passion in life than Knowing God. That is why the Apostle Paul said he had one goal in life- "That I may know Him"
Hi, Tom
ReplyDeletedo you say, at the end, the more someone does wrong the more Jesus forgives and loves this person?
Do I get you right?
Steve
Hey Steve,
DeleteExcellent question and I would be more than happy to answer your question and to clear up the misunderstanding. I am going to assume you are asking this question in the context of a true christian willfully sinning and continually doing wrong without repenting.
No, I am not saying Christians are free to sin because we have the grace of God and Jesus's imputed righteousness. In fact, the grace of God is not a license to sin but a license to Holiness. In order for us to be forgiven when we sin and do wrong, we must repent and confess our sin 1 John 1:7-9 says-"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
So in other words, as a Christian, I can't turn around to God and say "Now I am saved, I can sin without having any consequence's." Because God says not to do that. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."
When a good earthly father's child sins, he punishes and corrects him because he loves the child. How much more good is God our Heavenly Father? Their are basically 3 steps God takes to deal with his children when they sin.
1.First God CONVICTS his children of their sin through various means such as through prayer, bible, through another believer, and etc. Hopefully, the person repents but if he or she ignores the conviction and continue's on sinning, then God takes the next step.
2. Next step God takes is CHASTISEMENT. Hebrews 12:6 says "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” In other words, if you can go sinning without getting chastise and punished by God for doing so, you are really not a born-again child of God. And God as a loving father would take away his children happiness and even health to make sure his children are Holy and this is all because he loves them.
3. Now even after CONVICTION and CHASTISEMENT, you still go on sinning without repentance, then God would take the next step which is CONSUMMATION. In other words, God would rather execute us and bring us to heaven rather then us sinning away our salvation. And you see this taught throughout both the Old and new testament. ( SEE 2 Samuel 12:13; 1 John 5:16; Acts 5, 1 Corinthians 11:30)
I hope that this cleared up the misunderstanding and the questions you had, if you have any more questions or concerns, I will be more than happy to answer them.
Thanks,
Tom