What God does to you
Do you know what God does to you when you genuinely accept His forgiveness with sincerity and truth? He saves you. He changes you to an immortal soul homeward bound for His Home Heaven (1 Corinthians 15).
See: Brand New Creature | A New Creation
Our two homes | What we will be like in God’s Home Heaven
Just as He did with the thief on the cross, He instantly and permanently gives you a brand new spiritual life which is made for Heaven. After God does that from His domain, you can never return to your former lost state of being damned by God forever. Never again. He does it – to you. Oh how marvelous His grace!
All of you for all of Him
– Luke 10:27
Anything less is dead faith. We are to examine our faith to “see if we be in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Are you in, or are you out? Kind of eternally important to know yourself.
See: Examine Yourselves | Virgins, Talents, and Judgement
Is this you? | Will you be turned away by Jesus?
A forever creature
“That act of becoming born again — is an act of God upon our life. We don’t do it — He does it! And that is why it will never be undone.
The true believer was made so by God, and God promises that His “rebirthing” (a past tense verb: “have been reborn from above“-v3) sets us apart forever. From that moment in time we are “forever creatures”, eternal, never to be separated from His love!”
– From the article: Watch out for the dogs!
the life which I now live
– Galatians 2:20
– Source: What God does to prepare you for Heaven
Written to true believers in Christ Jesus, this simple passage of 1 Corinthians 6:11 lays-out what God did to each of us at that moment in time when we first believed. Wow! What He did!
God did very specific acts to us, on our behalf, thus making us viable for His Holy Kingdom. Have you been made “viable”?
11 And such were some of you [before you believed]. But you were washed [by the atoning sacrifice of Christ], you were sanctified [set apart for God, and made holy], you were justified [declared free of guilt] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the [Holy] Spirit of our God [the source of the believer’s new life and changed behavior]. – 1 Corinthians 6:11 Amplified version
The NASB states it simply:
“Such were some of you; but
you were washed, but
you were sanctified, but
you were justified
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
and [a]in the Spirit of our God.”
– 1 Corinthians 6:11 NASB
All that happened (past tense) at the moment of your salvation. Done. You are on your way to Heaven! Just have to keep pressing forward (Philippians 3:14) in this sin-filled world for now.
See: Heaven. What’s it going to be like?
Not sinless, but, a heart 100% given-over
The only humans entering heaven’s gate will be those sinners who confessed their sinfulness – and yielded their will completely (100%) to Christ in that moment of salvation. In that moment of time they were made brand new. They were freed from condemnation! (Romans 8:1) Only sinners arrive in heaven… the redeemed sinners.
But they were not made sinless. Only Christ has been sinless, ever. But from that moment on… some go on to shine and, in Christ, conquer more sin, while others go on to fail and fail and fail, yet cling to Christ in the midst of it all, to the end. We’ll have to wait till we arrive in heaven — to then begin living sinlessly.
If we have sincerely chosen to follow Jesus
then following Him matters
and living is about
getting down to God’s meaning
– Source: Your Thinking or God’s Word?
John 10:27-30
27 The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me; I know them, and they follow Me.
28 And I give them eternal life, and they will never, ever [by any means] perish; and no one will ever snatch them out of My hand.
29 [a]My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater and mightier than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are One [in essence and nature].”
So you may retort, “But but but, what if I turn away and start NOT believing, or fall away into deep sin?” Do you think God did not know your heart at that moment?
The simple answer is that God knows your heart at that moment. It is bare open. At that moment when you thought you gave your life to Jesus — He saw the crack in your heart (if there is one). He sees the crack there and does not accept your double-minded ways. He will not save you in that moment. He knows you will not “endure to the end”.
See: Parable of The Sower and the Seed (Matthew 13:18-23)
We don’t have Jesus here physically to meet with to warn us we are missing “one thing“. And evangelists can’t see into your heart like Jesus can. So we must examine our own heart. There may be issues deep-seated in your rebellious heart, like with the rich, young ruler.
Those truly bowing the knee will endure, and He knows it (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Mark 13:13: Luke 9:23; Matthew 10:22; Matthew 24:13; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 1:5; Colossians 3:12; 2 Timothy 2:3; 2 Timothy 2:10).
So the encouragement to “endure to the end” is not a threat of NOT enduring. It is, rather, an encouragement to hang-in there, knowing that we have been saved, and that this time of our “temp” tent will soon pass.
See: “The first things” (our time now) of Revelation 21:4
God is not waiting to see if you prove yourself, to then save you only after you have endured! How silly is that?
A dichotomous heart
Giving Him “bits and pieces” of our dichotomous heart never seals the deal. The Holy Spirit is given as a seal of God’s approval only to those who are 100% given-over to Jesus. See – Matthew 6:24. (See both: 2 Corinthians 11:4 and Galatians 1:7.) For whatever the reason, if you have a cracked heart (“cracked” as I like to picture it), He knows.
God saves… not we ourselves
It’s never because God can’t – it’s always because you won’t…! In that moment you won’t bow the knee. God [can] forgive all wrongdoings of all repentant sinners, no exception. The problem is: we must genuinely repent, turn from our wicked ways, and follow Jesus. He knows.
And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple],
he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests],
and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come]
and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].
The rich young ruler is a vivid example of a rebellious heart that Jesus spotted.
An attitude before our Father
As my father used to say, correcting his impudent son: “Who do you think you are?!”
That little rebellious streak is also what was in the mind and heart of the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-26) seeking to justify his thinking before Jesus. Our natural thinking is not one of submission to God. In the natural, we hate to submit to anything! So the ruler went away sad, because Jesus replied to him, “One thing you lack.”
– Source: Farther along we’ll understand why
He said to him,
“You lack one thing….”
– Mark 10:21
22 But the man was saddened at Jesus’ words, and he left grieving, because he owned much property and had many possessions [which he treasured more than his relationship with God]. – Mark 10:22
It is a simple truth: We know what Jesus believes. Do you agree with Him?
His message of salvation is not complicated. It is just too good to be true, for some. But all He asks is that you believe in Him, and follow Him daily. His message is basically: If you follow me – then you will be saved (Luke 9:23).
This one short verse in Acts contains the Gospel of Jesus: Acts 26:18 NASB Here is the verse in the Amplified version:
18 to open their [spiritual] eyes
so that they may turn
from darkness to light
and from the power of Satan to God,
that they may receive forgiveness
and release from their sins
and an inheritance
among those who have been
sanctified (set apart, made holy)
by faith in Me.’ – Acts 26:18 Amplified.
You are saved by faith alone. You are saved by the faith you place in Him — not by the following works you do for Him. But if your “works” do not follow, well then, what kind of faith is that!? (James 2:20) It’s no faith at all, the Bible says. Zilch. Nada. Good for nothing in God’s realm.
‘You must be born again – reborn from above
Jesus gives us the real life story of Nicodemus, found in the book of John, chapter 3. He, a young ruler, came to Jesus at night (afraid of others condemning him, maybe?). And Jesus told him:
“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.” – John 3:3
And I give them eternal life, and they will never, ever [by any means] perish; and no one will ever snatch them out of My hand.’ – John 10:28
See: Now I belong to Jesus | Christ secured our eternal home | His Plan of Immortality
You have a choice (as in: God will not force you into His Kingdom):
The God who created Hell for (1) those who choose to rebel and reject Him to follow their sin, also created Heaven for (2) those who choose to repent and reject their sin and follow Him with sincerity and truth. Are you holding steady… for hell? Or are you choosing “the forgiving God“?
Are you holding out? Or… will you bow the knee to God with all you are? …with all your mind, all your strength, with all your soul?
– Source: One thing you lack
“Choose now to be a true follower of Jesus – not “a bits and pieces” faker of faith (choosing “this and that”), but a sincere and truthful believer. Stand for what Jesus stands for. Don’t be an empty suit faker – be a true follower of Christ!
He requires a heart 100% given-over to Him. Nothing less. And He promises eternal life with Him in His Heaven. That is the best deal in the universe. I’ve been saved. Will you accept Him today?”
– Source: Christ secured our eternal home
FOR MORE:
We know the will of God in this
Freed from a righteous “God Damn”
Acting with your heart, soul, strength, and with your mind (Luke 10:27)
The message of salvation spoken by Jesus to Paul
Entrance Granted into the Eternal
What God does to prepare you for Heaven
Jesus warned us not to be dishonest with Him
We know what Jesus believes. Do you agree with Him?
The great water down of Jesus’ message to us all
Virgins, Talents, and Judgement
Is this you? …conduct becoming of a true, maturing Christian. A somewhat lengthy study of 1 Thessalonians 5
Heaven. What’s it going to be like?
What we will be like in God’s Home Heaven
Being a Temp in our temporary tent
“The first things” (our time now) of Revelation 21:4
Passing on through to the other side
Why on earth will God accept you, a sinner?
Will you be turned away by Jesus?
Are you contrary – not conforming to the Gospel?
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