PIC: All that glitters is not necessarily precious.
Are you “loving it”? Are you loving your life?
I’m lovin’ it!
This Life?
Of course! “This life” is a gift from God. We should “love it” (1 Corinthians 10:31). He made us in His image – for this life (and the next, of course). He made each one of us for His glory – for this life.
He promised life eternal to all who would choose to follow Him in this life (Psalm 34:7-9; John 3:16). 1
But, this life, being alive, “staying alive” — is a temp situation. The last statistic I heard was that “100% of people who are alive” – will lose it. Chances are: I am going to die! This life is short!
The Bible prepares us for that moment
We can read in the Bible of that moment of departure when the veil is lifted. This “mortal” existence will give way to an eternal “immortal” existence. It’s a transition totally under the control of Creator God. 2
What’s it like to of a sudden be on the other side?
“…The [human] body that is sown is perishable and mortal, it is raised imperishable and immortal. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in strength; 44 it is sown a natural body [mortal, suited to earth], it is raised a spiritual body [immortal, suited to heaven]. As surely as there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. – 1 Corinthians 15:42-44
An absolutely humongous choice is given to us in this life. You and I must choose:
(1) Repent and choose Jesus,
or
(2) Just live it as you want it.
What is life?
The chapter of 1 Corinthians 15 is all about “what is life?” Explore it. It explains life and death, and choosing your afterlife.
In it Paul says:
50 “…flesh and blood cannot inherit nor be part of the kingdom of God” *Read article
2 By this faith you are saved [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose], if you hold firmly to the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain [just superficially and without complete commitment].
33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company [i teachers who were denying the truth of the resurrection.] corrupts good morals.” 34 Be sober-minded [be sensible, wake up from your spiritual stupor] as you ought, and stop sinning; for some [of you] have no knowledge of God [you are disgracefully ignorant of Him, and ignore His truths]. I say this to your shame. *Read article: Contradicting Jesus
Peter opened his mouth and said, “Truly I perceive that God doesn’t show favoritism; but in every nation he who fears (or reveres) him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.
– Acts 10:34-35 WEB version
God is not impressed
It doesn’t matter who you think you are, God is not impressed. He will judge all of us on an equal basis. And when God calls a sin, “sin”, it is.
“Accepting Christ as your Savior” and then, calling what He calls sin “okay” and permissible!? You, on what basis do you declare anything as “okay” when Holy God condemned it? God says that those who walk that way are still in their sins, under condemnation.
– Source: Contradicting Jesus.
Simple Salvation
Getting right with God is so simple it’s unbelievable to many. Get over it! God made it simple. He wants us all to be saved. Are you expecting God, the Infinitely Smart One, to make His salvation complicated. Nobody would get saved in that scenario!
There are no ways around it. There is only one “end game” that ends well. How you play it determines whether you win or lose. In this life there are definite “losers” and “winners”. Be a winner in the end game. Only Jesus’ “end game” works-out well for you and me, in the end.
The gravity of this choice is made clear in this agitating passage of Revelation:
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony,
and they did not love their lives to the death.
Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
– Revelation 12:7-12
This is the key to arriving at “the pearly gates” (ref) where Jesus awaits:
they did not love their lives to the death
The short shrift
If we love this life, and we love Jesus less, then Jesus is given the short shrift: “little or no attention or consideration“. And that, my friend, is not the way to treat the God of the Universe. You think?
Have you been giving that to Jesus?
“A small or inadequate
amount of time or attention”?
The earliest known use of the phrase [short shrift] comes from William Shakespeare’s play Richard III, in which Lord Hastings, who has been condemned by King Richard to be beheaded, is told by Sir Richard Ratcliffe to “Make a short shrift” as the king “longs to see your head.”
Shakespeare uses this phrase quite literally (“keep your confession short”), but since at least the 19th century the phrase has been used figuratively to refer to a small or inadequate amount of time or attention given to something. – From merriam-webster
Loving Jesus Less
It’s rather easy to see “if we love Jesus less”. Have you looked into your soul lately?
How scary for me, someone who actually believes Scripture, to have deceived my self, and arrive before God saying “…but, but, but… but Lord, Lord…”, discovering too late, on That Day, that I was never “in Christ” at all, ever. How eternally horrible (Matthew 7:21-23).
Salvation in Christ involves truly following Christ. To cherish platitudes, to parrot doctrines, to relish Christian fellowship, to love the feelings of worship and prayers to God, to serve Him – even to be nice… is not what God requires for salvation.
To say a prayer of accepting Christ, and yet keep a heart of rebellion accepting of sinfulness… is not salvation at all. That is condemned of God.
God hates sin. We are to hate what is evil. (Romans 12:9b)
How much sin can a “so-called Christian” support, and still be following Him? I am appalled by the “so-called Christians” that align themselves in support of practices that Scripture condemns. If God condemns what we support, are we truly following Him?
– Source: Accepting what God rejects.
Where is your heart?
The unrepentant heart makes excuses for sin (vile things before God). What do I support – that is “not of God”? …in my personal practices, in my politics, in my relationships, in my mind and heart?
We rationalize so well, we fool ourselves!
Life, ultimately,
is not about what I think –
it is about God, and
what He has declared.
– Source: Signs of an Unrepentant Heart
Ultimately, a soul must align with God Almighty. You’ve got to want it.
The Bible is the standard for Christian thought and practice. Not me. Not you.
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” – Verse 11 of Revelation 12:7-12
“they did not love their lives to the death”
Loving life too much
To love your life more than Jesus, is to not love Jesus enough. Something is out of kilter there. As with the account of the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-22), there is at least one thing lacking. You are most definitely not ready to meet your Maker.
Loving Jesus less than …anything, is totally a giveaway as to the secret intents of your heart. Jesus must be first.
The way God specifically created you – makes you unique in this universe. You are “one of a kind“. And, God wants you to be saved. Jesus saved me. Do you know how to be ready for an eternity with God?
Source: – The way God made you
I’m lovin’ it! But…
I’m most definitely lovin’ Jesus more.
How about you?
FOR MORE:
It’s rather easy to see “if we love Jesus less”. Have you looked into your soul lately? Salvation in Christ involves truly following Christ. To cherish platitudes, to parrot doctrines, to relish Christian fellowship, to love the feelings of worship and prayers to God, to serve Him – even to be nice… is not what God requires for salvation.
_____________
“Therefore, my beloved, run [keep far, far away] from [any sort of] idolatry [and that includes loving anything more than God, or participating in anything that leads to sin and enslaves the soul].” – 1 Corinthians 10:14
____________
1 John 4:13-18 Excerpt: “17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.”
“Beyond The Veil” Lyrics | by Randy Stonehill; from the album Can’t Buy A Miracle
The Kingdom of God is very exclusive, very luxurious, very special
Being 100% given-over to Jesus
Are you ready to meet your Maker?
This Hope we have – and what this hope does
What God has going on with us here on this planet
At death – we put on immortality
Welcome to the show, What’s Beyond The Door! The stakes are gargantuanly humongous!
Today is your last day – and Hell is home tonight
Ready to lose it? Are you ready to lose your soul today – forever? Or are you ready to meet your Maker? Is your account with Him balanced?
A God Damn “Come now, and let us reason together” – Isaiah 1:18. Have you ever tried to grasp the deep intensity of God’s feelings against your sin? Do you know how much He hates sin? Sin is: anything done contrary to God’s will. And His will is made quite clear…
Hebrews 9:27
“…it is appointed and destined for all men to die once and after this [comes certain] judgment….”
Footnotes
- There’s not a hope in Hell, if that’s where you’re going. There is only hope on earth, where we are now.
And there will be no need for “hope” (nor for “faith”) in Heaven – because Jesus is our Hope, and we will be with Him right there, forever.
- Down through the ages people have allowed their thinking to be totally beguiled into believing God is something other than who He really is. Why follow something that is not real?
Misguided men and women just “up and made” their own brands of religions. God is not in those religions.
Religions have sprung up all over – figment religions, following after perhaps well-meant ideas, but… only ideas, theories, and some really really strange fabrications. You’d have to be a stupid ass to follow some, while others are quite charming and actually beguiling. Maybe you are in one today?
We do not need religion. We need Jesus. Following Jesus – is not a religion. It is a relationship of grace and freedom in Christ.
– Source: What God has going on with us here on this planet.
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