by believing in Jesus
Assurance of reward to come (sanctification).
by abiding in Jesus
A MESSAGE FOR MEN WHO ARE SERIOUS ABOUT FINDING OUT WHY GOD PLACED THEM ON THIS GOOD GREEN EARTH (it's really a message for anyone who has the ears to hear - but men really need this message today)
“...you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
- Jesus (John 8:32)
“With joy and full assurance because of the gift of eternal life which I received from Jesus when I believed in Him, I live this life mainly as a time of testing for a future reign with Jesus Christ. As I live my life unto Him, I will have assurance of my reward in the Kingdom to come. This is my conviction.”
When a man can say this, and live this, then he is a free man. He has allowed the truth to truly set him free. Any mindset other than this sets a man up for sins and spins; he wastes his life -becomes unfruitful in this life and also sets himself up for regret when he sees Jesus face to face.
This mindset of ‘living this life as a testing ground for the next life’ is the only way a man overcomes temptation, steps out in faith and moves into partnership with Jesus in His love for people—with great joy. It sets a man up for His greatest joy—which is the time when Jesus will grant him his full reward on That Day. And jsut what is the reward? A deeper level of partnership, co-rulership with Jesus in the Kingdom to come; a reward that only this life offers.
This is the Father’s great joy—to give us His Kingdom; to make us partners with Jesus in His Kingdom to come. “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” - Jesus (Luke 12:32).
Assurance of our salvation (justification) is based solely on Jesus’ death and resurrection and our believing in Him for that gift of eternal life. Being qualified for heaven is through faith alone in Christ alone. Jesus paid the price for us. Believing in Him for this gift of eternal life qualifies us for heaven. Period. There’s nothing we can do to restore ourselves to eternal life but to believe in Jesus Christ for the gift of eternal life. Once having received this gift of eternal life, there’s no bad thing we can do to lose eternal life, and there’s no good thing we can do to keep ourselves for eternal life.
Living with this assurance is to live as a free man and to establish for himself a sure foundation upon which he can build his life. The sinking-sand foundation of living to earn salvation, living to not lose our salvation, or living to keep one's salvation is what is, sadly, what we hear many times preached today. The one who builds on one of these faulty foundations is, through his life, declaring another 'gospel.' He's declaring a message that says Jesus' work on the cross "IS NOT ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY US!" This is not the gospel - it's not at all the "good news." This is bad news becasue it's not the truth. What good news is it if we must do something to earn our justification, to not lose our position of justification, or to maintain our position of justification? Listen to what the Apostle Paul has to say about our being justified by faith alone:
"Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness." - the Apostle Paul (Rom 4:4-5)
With this faulty foundation all our works will have an impure motive - for we're adding to Jesus' work who alone can justify the ungodly (and that's all of us). Do you want to truly be free? Live with the full assurance of having, possessing the gift of eternal life, based on your initial believing in Jesus for His gift of eternal life. Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
The Apostle John wrote that he wanted us to know that we have eternal life. He wrote (see 1 John 5:13)... "...I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life..." "What's eternal about "eternal" life if it's not forever?
Then, with this assurance, if a man chooses to see this life as a “testing ground” for a future reign with Jesus in the Kingdom to come, he will be truly free. Not just free from the penalty of sin - which is hell, but free from the power of sin. He'll have both assurances: assurance of the gift of eternal life, and assurance of a place of honor with Jesus in His coming Kingdom - a place of co-rulership with Him in His eternal reign.
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." - Jesus (Rev 3:19-22)
Assurance of reward to come is based upon how one responds to God’s word and His leading in our lives. We have assurance of our justification based on Jesus’ finished work alone. But our assurance of our being wholly sanctified and rewarded on That Day is dependent upon how we individually respond to God - to His word and to His leading - His voice. We will keep ourselves qualified for that great reward. as we do whatever He gives us to do—wholeheartedly, unto the Lord and not to man for his recognition or praise (see Colossians 3:23-25, This verse in not just for “slaves,” but for those who are free as well—see Ephesians 6: 5-8).
As we continue to partner with Jesus in His love for people we will be assured of our reward to come. Even though the believer is not condemned, our hearts have a habit of condemning us when we're not walking in His ways. And the answer? Walk in His ways. And what are His ways? To love one another. It's only as we keep our hearts right toward people that we will quiet our condemning hearts and be assured before Him. As the Apostle John said:
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. - I Jn 3:18-21
and
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. I Jn 4:16-21
and
And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. I Jn 2:28
The "eternal life" which Paul exhorted Timothy to "take hold of" is not the gift of eternal life which we received when we believed in Jesus. In this context, taking hold of eternal life is taking hold of the promise of reward that will help us "fight the good fight" in this life, and also to help us be better givers - laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven. Here's Paul's exhortation:
Fight the good fight of faith, take hold of eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.
Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may take hold of eternal life. 1 Tim 6:12-19
Living in the victory is not just having assurance of where we’re going, but having assurance of our great reward of closer partnership with Jesus in His eternal Kingdom to come. This is what it means to "live by faith and not by sight.” It's living for the eternal and invisible (invisible for the present time anyway ) Kingdom to come, and not for the comforts and conveniences in this life (though God does give us all things to enjoy -- 1 Timothy 6:6-19. We just need to keep from making enjoyable things our secret idols - 1 John 5:21 - as we live with His future Kingdom in mind).
Read these passages and ask the question, “What was the focus of Abraham, of Moses, of Paul? Were they living with this life or the next life in mind? What is it that helped them to overcome and to live a life of faith? What is Jesus desire for those who have ears to hear (in Rev. 3:19-22).
Heb 11:10, 13-16 For he [Abraham] was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God...All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country-- a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
Heb 11:24-27 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.
Heb 11:39-40 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
2 Cor 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Cor 5:7-11 We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.
Rom 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Rev 3:19-22 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." - Jesus
SUMMERIZING:
THE BEMA JUDGMENT IS FOR THE BELIEVER - HIS WORKS ARE JUDGED
THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT IS FOR THE UNBELIEVER - HE IS JUDGED
EVERY PERSON IS HEADING FOR ONE OF THESE TWO JUDGMENTS.
THERE IS NO ONE EXCLUDED FROM THIS.
LOVE DEMANDS THAT I KEEP THESE 2 JUDGMENTS IN MIND AS I ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE
REAL LOVE IS CARING MORE FOR ONE'S ETERNAL STATE THAN TEMPORARY STATE
IF I HAVE THESE JUDGMENTS IN MIND, MY LOVE WILL OVERCOME INTIMIDATION
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