I DON’T WANT TO MISS HEAVEN! (I)
A throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne
It is such a displeasure to behold the exigent cry the followers of Christ exhibit concerning heaven. “O! I must make it to heaven. Arrhh! I don’t want to lose heavenly citizenship, Holy Spirit please help my spiritual infirmity.” And they, quite unbelievably, profess to be God’s own begotten Christians when asked, “Are you born again?”
Imagine the disciples of Jesus querulously doubting a place for them in heaven, even after Jesus had breathed the breath of the Holy Ghost on them and had instructed them to tarry in Jerusalem until they were empowered. Is it not of truth that, “My people perish for lack of the knowledge?” They are unquestionably afraid of losing their salvation.
In my stupefaction I have always asked, “How did you get born again?” A truly born again Christian will always answer, “I received Jesus as my Lord and Saviour.” Good. Well said. “How much did you have to pay and how did you catalyze this new birth?” The truthful answer is, “Well….nothing.” It should be clear to all and sundry that the architect who designed the foundation and the eventual erection of the edifice is the one who can take the best care of the building. Henry Ford, no doubt, is the best person to talk to concerning your Ford car.
Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our lives, is the only One who can preserve the soteriological rebirth of our spiritual lives. He perfected the sanguineous Calvary rituals. And all that is expected from an individual is just to believe. “For God so loved the world……..whosoever believeth in him…..perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
The word ‘loved’ is agapaō (ag-ap-ah’-o): Perhaps from ἄγαν agan (much); ‘to love (in a social or moral sense).’ It is the verb form of agapē (ag-ah’-pay) which is: ‘affection or benevolence; specifically (plural) a love feast.’ It can only be this, unconditional, kind of love that the Divinity must employ to wash away all our iniquitous inclinations. Jesus paid the price. He proved His magnanimity with, “It is finished.” The perfect tense ‘finished’ is: teleō (tel-eh’-o): ‘to end, that is, complete, execute, conclude, discharge (a debt) fulfil i.e. to pay; of tribute.’
One of the fear of losing God’s salvation is based on righteousness, which has slipped from the hands of man. How can you forget so easily, that one of the names of our God is Jehovah Tsidkenu: The LORD our righteousness? The righteousness is not our own; He wraps us in His own righteousness, making us righteous as well. “In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” [Jeremiah 23:6].
The epithetic ‘THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS’ in Hebrew is: yehôvâh tsidqênû (ye-ho-vaw’ tsid-kay’-noo) Strong’s Definition: From Jehovah and tsedeq (tseh’-dek) with pronominal suffix; Jehovah (is) our right; Jehovah-Tsidkenu, a symbolical epithet of the Messiah and of Jerusalem.’ Tsedeq (tseh’-dek) means ‘the right (natural, moral or legal); also (abstractly) equity or (figuratively) prosperity.’ Jehovah means: I AM THAT I AM or the self-existing God (One who iexists by His own power). This LORD is none other than ‘The BRANCH’ of the preceding verse. This is Jesus.
“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4) When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” [Colossians 3:3-4]. The word ‘hid’ is kruptō (kroop’-to) to conceal (properly by covering).’ The righteousness that marks us out as Christians is veritably a clothing and Jesus is essentially the covering. We do not have in our possession any inherent righteousness. And the reality on the scriptural ground is that only this same Jesus has the capability of the competence to keep us in this state of Godly righteousness. We have the same life as Jesus for we are, in the strictest sense, in this righteous journey together for it says that: “Christ, who is our life.” Amen.
My five-part post titled, ”WHY GO ARMINIANISTIC SOTERIOLOGY” http://wp.me/p5iz2f-1H 16 Mar 2015 explores in details why no true born again will ever go to hell, please do read it.
Get born again by praying this prayer with all your heart and truthfully: Dear heavenly Father, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe in my heart that Jesus died for my sins and You raised Him from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord, and I receive Him as my Lord and my Saviour. I give God all the glory, Amen. (…to be continued…)
Click here to read part II
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