Posted on 11/17/2013 7:49:23 AM PST by CHRISTIAN DIARIST
In a letter to newly planted churches in the Roman provinces of Galatia, Macedonia, Achaia and Asia, the Apostle Paul explained how lost souls might receive the gift of God, which is eternal life through Jesus Christ.
“If,” he advised, “you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Many, if not most, of us have received the gift of salvation; have the promise of everlasting life.
We look forward to heaven, which the Book of Revelation describes as having twelve gates of pearl and streets of pure gold.
We can hardly wait to take residence in the mansions that, according to the Gospel of John, the Lord Jesus has prepared before us.
But many, if not most, of us will find heaven very much different than we are expecting. We mistakenly believe heaven will be egalitarian; that all who are saved will enjoy the same standing in the hereafter.
But that’s not what the Word of God teaches. It promises us – it warns us – that heaven is a meritocracy.
That, while our salvation guarantees us a place in heaven, our works on this side of eternity determine what exactly that place will be in the hereafter.
Indeed, the Lord declared, “I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.”
The Book of Matthew tells us the Son of Man will sit on the throne of His glory. That before Him all the nations will gather. That He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
That He well set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on His left. That those on His right hand will inherit the kingdom prepared for them. And that He will say to those on His left, “Depart from Me, you cursed.”
Those of us who are saved are the Lord’s sheep. An inheritance awaits us, everyone. But everyone does not have the same inheritance awaiting.
For some devote their lives to being good and faithful servants. To standing in the gap for the Lord. To fulfilling the Great Commission. To fighting a good fight, finishing the course set before them, and keeping the faith. To suffering persecution in the name of the Lord, even unto death.
There is laid up for those saints crowns of righteousness. They are on heaven’s A-list.
And it is written, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things God has prepared for those who love Him.”
Those who truly love Him are those who let their light so shine before men, that they might see their good works, and glorify the Father which is in heaven.
As to those of us who do not lead such a purpose-driven life, who do not labor in the Lord’s harvest fields bringing the lost to Christ, who do not feed the hungry, offer drink to the thirsty, take in the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick and minister to the prisoner, there is a place prepared for us, too, in eternity.
But let us not delude ourselves that we can do little or nothing in service to the Lord and enjoy the same rewards earned by such great men (and women) of God as Abraham, Moses, David and Esther or John the Baptist, the Virgin Mary, the Apostle Paul and St. Peter.
Papias of Hierapolis, who authored five books on Christian oral tradition, who said he received the sayings of the apostles from those who accompanied them, taught that “there is this distinction between the habitation of those who produce an hundred-fold, and that of those who produce sixty-fold, and that of those who produce thirty-fold.”
The first, wrote Papias, “will be taken up into the heavens.” The second, “will dwell in Paradise.” The last “will inhabit the city.” Everywhere, he explained, “the Savior will be seen, according as they shall be worthy who see Him.”
Salvation earns us a place in the city, with its “splendor” beyond anything we have seen or experienced in this fallen world.
But more is required of those who will spend eternity in paradise, with the “delights” far beyond the splendor of the city. And much more is required to be “deemed worthy of an abode in heaven,” where God, the Father, sits on His throne, and His Son, Christ the Lord, sits on His right hand
That’s why the Lord, Himself, advised us, encouraged us, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy,” but “store up treasure in heaven,” where our good works will be eternally rewarded.
Okay.
I am curious how heaven will maintain a class system as you imply and still be able to be ‘heaven’.
Yes, it is. I want to know whether to act like Bob or whether to act like Sam.
Obey the Bible — faith AND works.
Sorry Folks, only 144,000 get into heaven. They are already there. Now the “bumping begins” just like at the Indianapolis 500.
Now that I’ve made my sarcastic comment. Jesus gave us the gift of salvation and eternal life with Him in heaven, that is enough for me.
Who are any of us to answer that question? Isn't it one for God?
But my opinion is that it depends on how well they used the gifts that God gave them. Perhaps Bob has no money, but had a gift of persuasion, and lived a life that others wanted to emulate to serve God. Maybe hi service was 80% effective.
But maybe Sam was a go-getter, and raised himself to multi-millionaire status. Funding 100 Bibles was nothing to him. His effectiveness in using his gifts for the Lord was 0%. Remember the widow's mite.
I think in this scenario, Bob comes out ahead.
But I am making assumptions. Another would be that Sam was an invalid, that never got out of the house and lived on disablity. He saved his shekels till he had enough for the bibles, and did what he could for Jesus.
Bob, in the meantime, was so busy evangelizing, that he forgot to visit his own brother and help him out. Sounds sorta like our current President.
In this case, Sam is way ahead.
Or maybe they both did the best that they could with what they were given. I certainly wish that I could say the same.
For a Christian, you seem rather snarky.
Still, I believe in God and His Christ: I believe in miracles. I don’t believe in magic.
See. I can be snarky, too.
Oh, and we Baptists call it “the Lord’s Supper”
Once saved, we belong to Christ. Even if we wanted to leave, we are still part of His family. He disciplines those whom He loves.
There are many who understand the Gospel academically, but refuse to think it. Faith alone in Christ alone. Anything added to that faith voids that thinking for any salvific work. Instead remaining faithful in Him, does nothing to interfere with God blessing us by His grace with salvation, which is eternal.
Our inheritance is a predestined set of rewards, which are set in escrow for us until the bema seat of Christ. If we fail to perform good works by Divine Standards, then we will not be rewarded them.
Any good work not done through faith alone in Christ alone, is good for nothingness, and will not receive eternal rewards at the bema seat.
Neither will any person who has refused to ever exercise faith alone in Christ alone be able to escape eternal damnation by human good because those works independent of faith alone in Christ alone fail to remain perfectly holy in His Perfect Judgment and Perfect Righteousness. They must be atoned by the blood of Christ only through faith alone in Christ alone to qualify in the Book of Works.
So when did he eat with the apostles again for supper?
Catholics call the Passover meal with the apostles “The Last Supper.”
I believe most artists do too.
Just citing fact (the truth), not trying to be a smarty.
Some guy named Calvin said the same thing.
Is the above a claim that others have this problem or is it a personal revelation? Again, not trying to mind read, but are you asking us how to trust God?
Amen! From the lips of Jesus Christ in John chapter 14:
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions;[a] if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.[b] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Just replying to your words.
Have another cup of coffee.
And Christ said it too — and he let them leave.
If Bob and Sam listen to what Jesus Christ told His disciples when they were squabbling over who would be the greatest, then Bob and Sam would do well not to dwell on it. They should take the Master's advice and "Charlie Mike." Stop thinking about soda and ice cream on the objective after the mission and focus on the mission at hand.
“if a man has everlasting life, but loses it, did he ever have everlasting life to begin with?”
Too easy.
Free will. Life everlasting is lost the minute a commandment breaks.
Pride sucks
I agree, one would have to be a “Judas” in my opinion. Apostasy comes to mind.
Apostacy is an easy word to throw about.
Free will - define that - you get in becuase you believe and the est of suckers sin away??
I responded to every post. I even quoted scriptures to point out there is no envy in the Life to come.
If you dismiss the entire Bible as not providing evidence, then why debate at all here.
If you state the Bible is "fairy tale, myth, made of man only" then by your touted logical approach you would have to have full knowledge of such "fairy tale and myth" before commenting on it. If you dismiss a source outright with no examination, well logic has nothing to do with that at all. Unless throwing someone in jail without a trial seems logical.
LOL!
Well congratulations to all. We motored on quite a bit before a non-Biblical doctrine had to be brought up.
Doctrines relying on similtudes and parables require a lot of interpreting.
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