MANY PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME IF YOU CAN KNOW THAT YOU ARE GOING TO HEAVEN. OR, HAVE MADE COMMENTS SUCH AS, “I HOPE I AM GOING”, OR “NOBODY REALLY KNOWS”, OR, “I’M NOT SURE”. ETERNITY IS A LONG TIME AND I WANT TO KNOW BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT THAT I AM GOING. I HAD DOUBTS AND UNCERTAINTIES AND HAD TO GO TO THE WORD OF GOD TO FIND SOME ANSWERS. THE ANSWER IS ALL WRAPPED UP IN FAITH. LISTEN TO THIS VERSE: EPHESIANS 2:8 “GOD SAVED YOU BY HIS SPECIAL FAVOR WHEN YOU BELIEVED. AND YOU CANNOT TAKE CREDIT FOR IT; IT IS A GIFT FROM GOD”. YOU SEE, GOD HAS GIVEN US WHAT IT TAKES TO BECOME A BELIEVER. THAT FAITH IS GIVEN SIMULTANEOUSLY WHEN WE MAKE A MOVE TO ALIGN OURSELVES WITH GOD. THE ENTIRE PROCESS IS CALLED BEING “BORN AGAIN” BECAUSE WE ARE BORN OF THE SPIRIT AND RENEWED AT THE SAME TIME. II CORINTHIANS 5:17 “WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT THOSE WHO BECOME CHRISTIANS BECOME NEW PERSONS. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME ANYMORE, FOR THE OLD LIFE IS GONE. A NEW LIFE HAS BEGUN”. THAT NEW LIFE IS IN THE SPIRIT.
GOD IS SPIRIT. JOHN 4:24 SAYS,”FOR GOD IS SPIRIT, SO THOSE WHO WORSHIP HIM MUST WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH”. WE DON’T GO BY OUR PLAN, WE WORSHIP BY HIS PLAN. SO, WE SEE, IT TAKES NOTHING FROM US. NO SKILL, NO GREAT KNOWLEDGE, YOU CANNOT BUY IT, NO GOOD WORKS, NOTHING WE CAN OFFER. IT’S JUST US HE WANTS. BEING BORN AGAIN IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS YOU CAN ONLY KNOW ABOUT WHEN YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED IT. BUT, YOU SEE HOW SIMPLE IT IS, ALL IT REQUIRES FROM US IS OUR WILLINGNESS. THAT WILLINGNESS IS A FORM OF OBEDIENCE AND OBEDIENCE IS ALL GOD WANTS FROM US. HE WILL GUIDE US ALONG ON THE PLAN THAT HE HAS ONLY FOR US.
SO YOU ASK, HOW CAN I KNOW? JOHN 10:27 “MY SHEEP (THAT’S US) KNOW MY VOICE AND THEY FOLLOW ME. I GIVE THEM ETERNAL LIFE, AND THEY WILL NEVER PERISH. NO ONE WILL SNATCH THEM AWAY FROM ME, FOR MY FATHER HAS GIVEN THEM TO ME, AND HE IS MORE POWERFUL THAN ANYONE ELSE. SO NO ONE CAN TAKE THEM FROM ME. THE FATHER AND I ARE ONE”. AND, ROMANS 6:23 “FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE FREE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD”. AND, I JOHN 5:11 AND THIS IS WHAT GOD HAS TESTIFIED; HE HAS GIVEN US ETERNAL LIFE AND THIS LIFE IS IN HIS SON”. AND I JOHN 5:13 I WRITE THIS TO YOU WHO BELIEVE IN THE SON OF GOD, SO YOU MAY KNOW THAT YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE”. GLORY TO GOD!
THE QUESTION IS, HAVE I OPENED MYSELF UP TO HIM? HAVE I DECIDED TO RECEIVE HIS PLAN? HAVE I ASKED FOR FORGIVENESS ? IF YOU CAN ANSWER YES, THEN, YOU ARE BORN AGAIN. AND, AS YOU SEE FROM THE SCRIPTURES WRITTEN ABOVE, YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE WITH GOD IN HEAVEN PERIOD! EACH DAY AS I GET TO KNOW HIM BETTER, I WANT TO BE MORE OBEDIENT. NOT BECAUSE I HAVE TO, BUT BECAUSE I WANT TO. EACH DAY HE HAS A NEW CHALLENGE FOR ME TO HELP ME GROW. HE IS SO AWESOME. WORDS CANNOT DESCRIBE THE RELATIONSHIP THAT IS AVAILABLE TO US IF WE PERSUE IT.
IF YOU CANNOT ANSWER YES WITH CERTAINTY, REVELATIONS 3:20 “LOOK, HERE I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK. IF YOU HEAR ME CALLING AND OPEN THE DOOR, I WILL COME IN AND SHARE A MEAL AS FRIENDS”. GOD IS AVAILABLE 24/7. IT’S OUR CALL. JUST ASK HIM TO COME INTO YOUR HEART. ASK FOR FORGIVENESS AND SETTLE THE QUESTION ETERNALLY. THEN, YOU CAN KNOW. GOD’S LOVE FOR US IS BEYOND OUR IMAGINATION. GLORY BE TO GOD!
IF I CAN HELP IN ANY WAY, FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME. MY CEL NO IS 559 -553-3305. BRAD 5/6/05
