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Thursday, July 22,
2010
A Continual Process
Deuteronomy 28:1-2 And it shall come to
pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God,
to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day,
that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
(2) And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou
shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. (KJV)
When one thinks of salvation, an eternity
with God, no more pain, sorrow, or tears, it is comforting to know that
someday when we leave this realm that there is a much better life waiting
for us in the next one. Some think that salvation is a one and done process,
that all one needs to do is walk up to some alter, recite some prayer, and
then they are saved, set for this eternal place in heaven so many speak of.
There are those that would even go so far as to say that once saved always
saved; eternal securities is another term used as well. Before you jump on
that ear tickling feel good bandwagon it would do you well to look at what
the word of God says, and what the conditions of this salvation truly are
if you plan on being an inheritor of the kingdom of God. A simple word like
‘if’ which means on the condition of, can add a whole new eternal meaning
to the true plan of salvation. So if you read Deuteronomy 28 the first 14
verses sound great, describing all the blessings that will come upon not
only the hearers but the doers as well, but it doesn’t end there.
Deuteronomy 28:15 But it shall come to
pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to
observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee
this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
(KJV)
Remember Church, God’s people, this Bible
is written to us; the blessings are real and available, as well as the
curses. If you read the rest of Deuteronomy 28 you will see that life from
this point on is rather unpleasant and is a death sentence to those that
continue on this path, no matter who they are, or even the fact that at
some time in their life they made a commitment to God. You are a child of
God, adopted into the family of Christ; salvation is not a ticket to sin,
or a free pass to live like the devil. As sure as there are blessings, be
aware the curses are still in play and no one is immune to them, just a
matter of which path you choose to walk.
John 15:6-7 If a man abide not in me, he
is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast
them into the fire, and they are burned. (7) If ye abide in me, and my
words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto
you. (KJV)
Call this an endurance race; once you
have entered you need to follow the instructor and His instructions if you
wish to inherit eternal life. You need to observe all the terms and
conditions of Father’s last will and testament given in His word, the fine
print if you would, so that you realize that having made this commitment
now it’s time to follow through with it. Looking at verse 6, the branch is
withering, drying out, and at some point it was actually a part of the
vine, but was cut off from the source of life. Note to Church, if you are
not sure what is cast into the fire Revelation 20:15 explains it. Think of
a job, if you went to the interview and you liked the job and the benefits,
and was hired and told to start on Monday and you didn’t show up until
Friday, what makes you think that you’re going to get a paycheck? So why
would people think that we can do that to God? Simply put, if you don’t
make salvation a way of life, a total commitment to the things of God,
expect to reap what you sow, and don’t think that you are above the law of
faith, God does not play favorites no matter who you are or who you think
you are.
Romans 11:21-23 For if God spared not the
natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. (22) Behold
therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity;
but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou
also shalt be cut off. (23) And they also, if they abide not still in
unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
(KJV)
It would be my pleasure to just write of
the blessings and joy of the Lord, but I would not be able to speak on
behalf of our Lord if I did not remind the Church of the flip side as well;
so give heed to the voice of the Lord so that you don’t fall from grace.
Colossians 1:21-23 And you, that were
sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath
he reconciled (22) In the body of his flesh through death, to present you
holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: (23) If ye continue in
the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the
gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which
is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; (KJV)
Jesus Christ was sent by God to bring His
message of salvation, the plan of reconciliation; not only what allows you
access into this plan but how to maintain this relationship as well. So
will you continue in this plan so that you can remain blameless without
fault in His sight, and receive the reward of inheritance?
John 8:31-32 Then said Jesus to those Jews
which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples
indeed; (32) And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free. (KJV)
By staying in the Word continually you
will be a follower indeed, doing the will of our Father. It is knowing the
truth that will continually set one free from the bondage of the flesh and
allow the Spirit to take over in an area that has hindered our walk in the
past.
Hebrews 3:14-15 For we are made partakers
of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the
end; (15) While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not
your hearts, as in the provocation. (KJV)
What are you holding true to; will you
let God be true and man’s doctrines to be the lie, or are you following a
crowded slippery slope leading to destruction? You may have started this
race with good intentions, but will you finish strong or drop off?
Matthew 10:22 And ye shall be hated of
all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
(KJV)
It
may not be a popular path, but it is the only one that leads to our eternal
home. Are you in it for the long haul?
To be continued.
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