Do Not Neglect Your Soul's Salvation.

     For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard.
                                  Hebrews 2:2-3 NASB

     God's word is unalterable. In His holiness, He demanded obedience under the old covenant. His justice required the penalty of the law to be enforced for every violation. God has not changed. Under the new covenant He still requires obedience to His law, the law of love. The penalty for disobedience is still in force, as God is still a God of justice today.
     The good new for us is that Jesus Christ has become the sacrifice for sin, when He went to the cross some two thousand years ago. God can now forgive and restore to fellowship all those who by repentance and faith come to Him for salvation.
     As the scriptures ask us, "How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" Too many people put it off, or believe that it is unnecessary for them to be born again. This is tragic, for God in His great love for fallen man has provided the only way to come back to Him. Do not neglect your soul. Trust Jesus Christ with your life today. You may not ever have another opportunity to surrender your life to Him.

No Where To Hide.

     The day is coming when Kings and commanders, great men, strong men, slave and free, will try to hide from the presence of Him who sits upon the throne (Rev 6:15-17).
     The scriptures record that earth and heaven will flee from the great white throne of judgment,

     Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.
                                Revelation 20:11 NASB

     There will be no place to hide on that day, as God is all seeing and ever present. As the psalmist says, "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence (Psalm 139:7)?" There will be no place to hide from the wrath of the Lamb on that day.
     The day of judgment will be a day of great fear and dread. Terror will seize the hearts of those who have spurned and rejected the Lord Jesus Christ in this life. Men will attempt to flee, but in vain. The books will be opened, and the dead, both great and small, will be judged according to their deeds, and cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:12-15). It will be a day of the utmost horror for those who are lost.
     The answer is found in Christ Jesus, here and now. If we repent, that is, give up our sinful rebellious wills, and surrender our lives to Christ, who bore our sins on Calvary's cross, we can experience His forgiveness and grace. Through the new birth we receive the power to live godly lives, the law that once condemned us, now written on our hearts, causing us to walk in them. As the public testimony of the death to sin and self, and the newness of life we have in Christ, be baptized in water (Romans 6:4).
     As those found in Christ, we do not need to fear the judgment. He has forgiven our sin, and changed the course of our lives. With new hearts, we can live the lives that will please God, and bring glory to Him, as we long for the day of His appearing (2 Tim 4:7-8), instead of dreading that day.

Noah, Blameless in His Time.

     The bible records that in the days prior to the flood, mankind was exceedingly wicked.

     Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
                                           Genesis 6:5 NASB

     The life of Noah stands in sharp contrast to the wickedness of the world around him. We read that Noah found favor in God's sight.

     But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.
                                       Genesis 6:8-9 NASB

     The bible holds up individuals as examples of God's standard for our lives. Noah was such an example for us to look at. Consider that he was a righteous individual. The definition of righteousness is one who is rightly related to God, they are justified in His sight by faith. Righteousness however, also means to live rightly. That is to do what is morally right. This is not an old testament concept of works based salvation. God has always desired mankind, and still desires mankind, to live righteously. His desire is that we would do what is morally upright in His eyes.
     We read in the first epistle of John that the one who practices righteousness is righteous (1 John 3:8). There is no separating of the two. An individual who has experienced the grace of God, who has been justified, and is now rightly related to God, will in fact live in a manner consistent with that fact. Such an individual will now do what is right in the eyes of God. Like Noah, they will stand in contrast to the world around them, going against the grain of the world's sinful beliefs and practices.
     The bible also records that Noah was blameless. This speaks of a moral wholeness, integrity, a purity of intention to live for God. While the world lives for selfish ends, a blameless individual desires with all of his heart to live for Christ. Such an individual might have times of weakness, may stumble, may have things in his or her life that God desires to purify, but the cry of their heart is to live in a manner that is pleasing to God. They get up when they fall down, and continue on with God. Just as it says that Noah walked with God, an upright and blameless individual also walks with God, ordering their life and conduct by the standard of God's word. An individual who claims to walk with God, but lives out their life for their own selfish pursuits, is a deceived individual. They are no different than those whose intentions were only evil continually, as in the days of Noah.
     How does your life line up with the standard that God has put before you? Would you look at your life and find that you fit in with the world and its sinful ways? Or, does your life look like Noah's? Do you seek to please God in all your ways? Do you do what is right? Are you rightly related to God, and walking in relationship with Him, ordering your conduct by His standards?
     God regretted that He had made man, and determined to destroy mankind from the face of the earth (Genesis 6:6-7), but Noah found favor with God. We too, will someday face God, to be judged for the things that we have done. Will you be destroyed with all of the wicked, or will you, like Noah, find favor with God?
     You must be born again!
    

    

    

Job, Blameless and Upright.

     The bible records that Job was an upright man. In fact in his day, there was no one like him on the earth, blameless and upright, fearing God, and turning from evil (Job 1:8, 2:3).
     This righteousness that Job possessed was not a form of works that somehow impressed God. Job was a man who was committed to serving God. He understood who God is, and how God desires each and everyone of us to live. Job's fear of the Lord, led him to forsake sin, and live righteously in his generation.
     It is important to see that the Lord regarded Job as "His servant". Jesus teaches us that a true servant does not serve for the reward, but serves because it is his duty to serve (Luke 17:7-10).
     In other words, works done for a reward, are works that cannot please God. It is those things done for God, without self interest as a motive, that are pleasing to Him.
     This is how true saving faith works in the life of the believer. He lives for the glory of God, doing those things that please God, without thought of self. Like Abraham, faith is working with his deeds, and the scriptures are fulfilled, that "He believed God and it was counted as righteousness" (James 2:21-24).
     This is what pleases God, when we lose our lives for His sake. Then our obedience is to Him a service of love, pleasing in His sight.

Will You Be Happy In Heaven?

     A large number of people are complacently comfortable in the idea that after a life indulged in sensuality, and the pleasures of sin, they will spend a blissful eternity in heaven.
     However, how blissful will it really be for them? Can they really be happy in heaven, if they enter it just as they are?
     For those who live for material things, who heap up wealth and possessions, they will find that their wealth will not follow them into the heavenly kingdom (Matt 6:19; 1 Tim 6:7). The things that they cherish here on this earth, will be no more. How sad and brokenhearted these individuals will be, without their earthly treasures.
     Those who love high society, who mingle with the "upper crust", will be very lonely in heaven, as they find few rich people, few noble, few wise, and few mighty people there. Jesus tells us that it is hard for the rich to enter into the kingdom (Luke 18:24), and Paul tells us that God has chosen the weak and foolish things to shame the wise (1 Cor 1:26-29).
     How about those who are racist? Will they be happy? Heaven will be filled with people from every tribe and tongue (Rev 5:9). If you are a racist, if you are prejudiced toward another race, or ethnic group, you will have to spend eternity mingling with people that you now hate. How miserable it will be for a prejudiced individual!
     For those who love to drink, and indulge in other vices, it will be boring. There will be no bars, there will be no drunken parties. Your drinking buddies will not be there, as no drunkard will inherit the kingdom of God (Gal 5:19-21). What will you do, as you will not be able to spend your days in riotous living?
     It will be the same for those who live in any form of immorality, and keep company with immoral people (Eph 5:5). You will not be able to practice the things that you love to do on this earth. Your friends will not be there to comfort you in your misery, as there will be nothing that defiles in the Holy City (Rev 21:27).
     How will it fare for those who cannot stand to go to Church? What about all those Sunday "clock watchers" who can't stand it if the pastor goes a minute past in his message? What about those who dislike worship, or being around other Christians?
     It will be a long boring eternity for these people. We will be surrounded by people who are doing nothing but worshipping the Lamb of God for eternity (Rev 4:8-11, 5:11-14). If you cannot bear an hour of church now, how will you last in eternity?
     Do you get the picture? A person who is selfishly living for worldly pleasure, is not fit for heaven. They will not go to heaven. To believe so, is a deception.
     Jesus said we must be born again if we would enter the kingdom of God (John 3:3-7). It is a narrow gate, and a narrow path, and few find it, while the great mass of people perish on the broad road to destruction (Matt 7:12-14). We must be changed from the inside out, while we live here on this earth, if we are to enjoy eternity with Christ (2 Cor 5:17).

The Just Shall Live By Faith.

     And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-
     if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which, I, Paul, was made a minister.
                            Colossians 1:21-23 NASB 

     The Christian life is one that is to be lived out on a daily basis, by faith, in Christ. The Apostle Paul states that we walk by faith, and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7). He also states that just as we have received Christ Jesus (which is by faith), we are to walk in Him (Col 2:6).
     Many people have the idea that once they say a prayer, they are now eternally secure. They reduce faith to a one time act. For many, it does not matter therefore, how they live out the rest of their lives. The truth is that faith is to be lived out in the life of the believer, moment by moment, each and everyday.
     Now there are scriptures that show us the security that the true believer has in Christ. There are abundant passages to show us that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. He is able to save us to the uttermost, nothing can snatch the child of God out of the Father's hand.
     There are also abundant passages to show us that we must continue in the faith, steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel. We cannot focus on the verses that show us our security in Christ, while neglecting those scriptures that warn us of the dangers of falling away, and likewise, we cannot focus on the warning passages to the neglect of the security passages. We must take the whole council of God, and rightly divide it.

     But Christ was faithful as a Son over His house- whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and boast of our hope firm until the end
                                              Hebrews 3:6 NASB

     Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.
     But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
     For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end.
                                         Hebrews 3:12-14 NASB

     Once again, these scripture passages are here for a reason. They serve to warn us about the very real possibility of falling away from the faith that we hold in Christ. These passages show us that it is possible for the heart that has been softened by Christ, to become hardened once again by sin. We are admonished to encourage one another in view of this very real danger that each and every child of God faces.
     Jesus tells us that unless we are born again, we cannot see the kingdom of God. We must be born of water and the Spirit to enter into the kingdom (John 3:3, 5). This new birth is called the washing of regeneration, and renewal by the Holy Spirit, who was poured out upon us through Jesus Christ. Through this we are justified, and made heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:4-7). Notice, this is not based upon our deeds, but upon the kindness of God.
     The new birth is the making of a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). To be sure, we are justified, that is, made right with God. We are reconciled with Him. However, it is much more than a judicial reckoning of righteousness to unrighteous individuals, based upon a one time profession of faith. It is the entire remaking of an individual, renewed into the image of the one who remakes the sinner, that is God (Col 3:10). Understand what this means to us. If we are being recreated into the image of God, we are going to walk like Jesus did. Our lives and conduct will show this re-creation for the world to see. 
     It is God who sanctifies us through and through (1 Thess 5:23-24), but we are also called to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. That is, we are to work out in our actions, what God is working in us (Philippians 2:12-13). Paul tells us that as Christians we have an obligation to put to death, through the Holy Spirit, the sinful deeds of the flesh. They have no more place in the life of the new man (Romans 8:12-13).
     There are many who have a fear that they are not doing enough. They go through life striving and struggling, never quite sure if they are saved or not, based upon their deeds. This is wrong, and any efforts to gain God's favor through our works are in vain. We cannot begin in the Spirit, but then attempt to go on in the flesh (Gal 3:3). 
     However, Faith produces works. If we believe, it will compel us to action (Romans 4:16-22; James 2:18-26). It works by Love (Gal 5:6). The one who loves Jesus will obey Jesus. The individual who loves, is not concerned that he might not have done enough. Such an individual is not striving and struggling to do all they can so that they will be saved. The individual who loves Jesus is following Him, doing the good works, not to earn something, but simply out of love for Christ. If such a one should stumble, they confess it and forsake it, and keep on following Christ. They are confident of their salvation, they know that they are secure in Christ. This is walking by faith. The just shall live by faith. It is a living active continuation of the faith that we first profess at salvation. We hold fast to it from beginning to end. The new birth is the entry point into the kingdom of God. 
     Sadly, many become careless and complacent, and allow themselves to become hardened. They begin to to drift away (Hebrews 2:1-3). That is why we are warned; not so that we work a little harder, or worry a little more. We are given these warnings by a loving God, who is able to save us to the uttermost, and is able to bring us into glory faultless, with great joy (Heb 7:25; Jude 1:24).
     
      

    
    

The Firm Foundation of God.

     Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows who are His," and, "Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness."
                                    2 Timothy 2:19 NASB

     Here are two very important truths to consider. There are many individuals who consider themselves Christians based upon a number of things. Some may have been baptized at some point, become members of a church, grown up in a Christian home, said a prayer, went forward in an altar call. None of these things are what makes an individual a Christian however.
     There are many of these professors of Christianity, who in reality have never been born again. They continue to live their lives for their own selfish pleasures, while claiming to know Christ. Sadly, they are deceived, and are blindly heading toward an eternity without Christ.
     This verse tells us that God knows who are His. It is not enough to think that we are His, what is important is that He knows we are His, because what we believe about our Christianity does count for anything if we have deceived ourselves into believing we are saved. God knows our hearts, and He knows who is saved and who is not.
     This verse also shows us that turning from our sin is a foundational part of our salvation. Contrary to popular belief, we cannot presume upon God's grace while we have no desire to give up our sinful lives in exchange for the new life we can find in Christ. As it says in Hebrews, if we continue to willfully sin after coming to the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 10:26-27).
     Do not be deceived about your salvation. Make sure that you are truly born again! Repent of your sin, and give your life to Christ, to live for Him! He knows those who are His; those who have truly given up their sin, and now live to follow Him.

Don't Blame God.

     The question is often asked, "How can a loving God allow suffering to exist in the world?" When faced with suffering and death, through sickness, or as the result of the actions of another, many tend to put the blame on God.
     The truth is God created the world in perfection. He created, and called it good (Gen 1:10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31).

     God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day.
                               Genesis 1:31 NASB

     The blame cannot be placed upon God, it falls upon us, sinful mankind. The bible tells us that death entered the world through sin. When Adam and Eve disobeyed the command of The Lord, sin entered the world, bringing death with it, not only are Adam and Eve responsible however, as we all have sinned. We are all guilty of disobedience to God's law (Romans 5:12).
     This is where sickness and disease have their source. They have entered the world as a result of sin, rebellion against God. Look at all the atrocities that have been committed by wicked men. Their actions are sinful. The hatred that selfish men hold in their hearts for one another leads to thefts and murders, and all of the other evils that we see men commit against one another. Don't blame God. We are the ones who sin, who commit horrible acts that bring pain and suffering to another human being.
     The bible also tells us that one day death will be swallowed up (Isaiah 25:7-8; 1 Cor 15:54-55; Rev 21:4). He will wipe away every tear, sorrow will be gone, there will be no more grief or mourning. all things will be made new (Rev 21:5). That is a wonderful promise for all those who through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ are born again into the kingdom of God.
     It will not fare so well for those who persist in their hardened unbelief however. For those who continue unrepentant, in their sin, they will face a fiery judgment, as all that would defile God's kingdom will someday be removed for all eternity. Nothing unclean or impure will enter to stain it. There will be no more evils committed by wicked men to bring grief and sorrow into what God has created as good and perfect (Rev 20:11-15, 21:8, 27,).
     Jesus tells us that those who wash their robes are blessed. They alone have the right to the tree of life, and may enter the city. Everyone else will be kept out (Rev 22:14-15).
     God looks down at the suffering and pain that we now see in the world, and His heart grieves for His creation. He is filled with sorrow as he sees the atrocities, He feels the pain of the hurting. Don't blame God for what His fallen creation has brought into the world. He will make all things right. His own, will live in His presence forever in fullness of joy. The wicked will face everlasting torment, by the just sentence of the holy God.