Hebrews 3:12-14 reads:
"Watch out brothers, so that there will not be in any one of you an
evil heart lacking trust, which could lead you to apostatize from the
living God! Instead, keep exhorting each other every day, as long as it
is called Today, so that none of you will become hardened by the deceit
of sin. For we have become sharers in the Messiah, provided, however,
that we hold firmly to the conviction we began with, right through until
the goal is reached."
There is a phrase that is often heard in the Church of God. It begins
with: "If I make it into God's Kingdom..." and then goes on to say
something about what that person hopes to be able to do or accomplish or
how they want to be when that glorious day arrives. There is a problem,
however. By opening one's statement with the word: "If I make it...", one
is implying that the possibility exists that they may not be in the
Kingdom of God when Jesus Christ returns to set up the government of God
over all the earth. It makes people feel uneasy, that they can never
relax, never really enjoy their relationship with God, because if they
make one little mistake, well, "God's gonna get 'em for that."
The source of this phrase may lie in our cultural background. We often
begin statements with the word "If.@
"If it doesn't rain tomorrow I'll mow the lawn...", "if I pass this course
then I can get into the program I want.." and various kinds of similar
statements. However, there is also a deeper and more troubling aspect to
this phrase as it applies to our eternal life in the Kingdom of God. It
implies that God may not finish what He has seen fit to begin in us.
Today I want to try to build up your confidence that you can and almost
certainly will make it.
Let me begin with the premise that, unless you turn your back on God,
you are going to "make it.@ Of
this there should be no doubt, for you have been called by God to be one
of His very "elect."
1 Th 5:24 (KJV) Faithful <is> he that calls you, who also will do
<it>.
First let's talk about our ELECTION
Peter taught that those called of God were a special "election" and
were therefore sanctified.
1 Pet 1:1-2 (KJV) Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers
scattered .... {2} Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:...
We have been elected by the foreknowledge of God the Father. He knows
that we can make it into His Kingdom. He would not have chosen us if we
were destined to fail. It is not God's business to call people to failure,
for He is choosing a family to join Him in eternal life.
1 Pet 2:9 (KJV) But ye <are> a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,
an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises
of Him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous
light:
Oh yes, it behooves us to "...show forth the virtues of Him who has
called you...", to be the finest example of obedient children that we can
be. But to think that God is just looking for an excuse to purge us out of
the family into which He has called us is ludicrous.
Luke 12:32 (KJV) Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good
pleasure to give you the kingdom.
(John 6:37-40 NKJV) "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me,
and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. {38} "For I
have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him
who sent Me. {39} "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that
of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up
at the last day. {40} "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that
everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life;
and I will raise him up at the last day."
John 10:27-30 (NKJV) "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and
they follow Me. {28} "And I give them eternal life, and they
shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
{29} "My Father, who has given <them> to Me, is greater than all; and no
one is able to snatch <them> out of My Father's hand. {30} "I and <My>
Father are one."
No man can ever take away your salvation. That is a free gift from God
and will be fully accomplished when Jesus returns. Yet for some, the doubt
remains. They feel they are just not good enough to ever "make it" into
the Kingdom of God.
Will it take WORKS, GRACE OR BOTH?
The truth of the matter is, we are not "good enough" to "make it" into
God's Kingdom, and if we are left to our own strength we never will be
"good enough." For the work that God is working in us is not our work, it
is the work of God the Father and our Messiah, Jesus - or Yeshua, as it is
in Hebrew. No matter how hard we try, we will never be able to achieve the
righteousness needed to "make it" into God's Kingdom without God's help.
The prophet Isaiah was inspired by God to write about the righteousness
of man:
Isa 64:6-8 (NKJV) But we are all like an unclean <thing>, And
all our righteousnesses <are> like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away. {7} And <there
is> no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself up to take hold of
You; For You have hidden Your face from us, And have consumed us because
of our iniquities. {8} But now, O LORD, You <are> our Father; We <are>
the clay, and You our potter; And all we <are> the work of Your hand.
The phrase "filthy rags" in the original Hebrew means menstrual cloths.
Our righteousness, of and by itself, is no better than a soiled cloth from
a woman's monthly cycle.
If this be true then how can there be even an inkling of hope for any
of us, even the most righteous among us? The answer, of course, is that we
must rely on God for everything, especially our righteousness.
Abraham was considered to be a righteous man. Abraham did many great
works during his lifetime. He was said to be the most hospitable man who
ever lived. He sat outside his tent by the roadside so that he might stop
any stranger who happened to pass by and invite him into his tent to rest
and be refreshed. It was Abraham who rescued Lot, who attempted to talk
God into sparing the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah if only a few righteous
could be found therein. It was Abraham who was willing to sacrifice his
son Isaac if that was what God required. Yet none of these acts, in and by
themselves were counted to Abraham as righteousness.
Rom 4:1-3 (NKJV) What then shall we say that Abraham our father has
found according to the flesh? {2} For if Abraham was justified by works,
he has <something> to boast about, but not before God. {3} For what does
the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was
accounted to him for righteousness."
It was not the works of Abraham that accounted him to be righteous but
rather his faith that made him
so. Likewise, it is our belief, our faith, our confidence, our trust
in the blood of the Messiah Jesus that accounts us righteous before God.
Eph 2:8-9 (NKJV) For by grace you have been saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves; <it is> the gift of God, {9} not
of works, lest anyone should boast.
Our righteousness before God, as well as our salvation into eternal
life, comes entirely from God. It is a free gift.
Rom 6:23 (NKJV) For the wages of sin <is> death, but the gift
of God <is> eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We cannot earn our salvation through works or by our own righteousness.
It can only be obtained from God Himself as a result of our acceptance of
Jesus' blood in payment for our sins. This is called grace or unmerited
pardon.
Since we are saved by grace, shall we just forget about doing any
good works? Of course not. Now we
have all the more reason to glorify God by behaving toward others in the
same manner as He behaves toward us.
James 2:20 (NKJV) But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith
without works is dead?
We need to be learning how to behave as legitimate members of
God's Family, following Jesus' perfect example.
How do we follow Jesus' perfect example? Let's read Christ's own words:
Mat 19:16-21 (NKJV) Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good
Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" {17}
So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one <is> good but One,
<that is>, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the
commandments." {18} He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, " 'You
shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not
steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' {19} 'Honor your father and
<your> mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' " {20}
The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth.
What do I still lack?" {21} Jesus said to him, "If you want to be
perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have
treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."
Obedience to the commandments is our first step in following Jesus'
example. Remember that Jesus said the commandments are not grievous. Love
for others is the second point Jesus made.
The book of Revelation shows us that the keeping of the commandments is
the mark of those who will be supernaturally protected in the end times.
Rev 12:17 (NKJV) And the dragon was enraged with the woman [God=
s Church], and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring,
who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus
Christ.
Are we the saints? If we know that we have been called by God, then we
have been selected out of the world to be a saint.
Rom 1:7 (NKJV) To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called <to
be> saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
1 Cor 1:2 (NKJV) To the church of God which is at Corinth, to
those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called <to be> saints,
with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,
both theirs and ours:
The saints are those who keep the commandments and have faith that
Jesus forgives us when we break those commandments, because He paid the
penalty for our sins.
Rev 14:12 (NKJV) Here is the patience of the saints; here <are> those
who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
Are those who are called to be saints perfect? No, but we should be
getting more perfect as time goes on.
Eph 4:11-16 (NKJV) And He Himself gave some <to be> apostles, some
prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, {12} for the
equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of
the body of Christ, {13} till we all come to the unity of the faith and
of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the
measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; {14} that we should no
longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind
of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of
deceitful plotting, {15} but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in
all things into Him who is the head; Christ; {16} from whom the whole
body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according
to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes
growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Eph 5:3-5 (NKJV) But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness,
let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; {4}
neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are
not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. {5} For this you know, that no
fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has
any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
So those who are called to be saints can fail, but it is not God's wish
or intent that that should happen. We will be judged at or just prior to
Christ's return.
1 Th 3:13 (NKJV) so that He may establish your hearts blameless in
holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ with all His saints.
2 Tim 4:1 (NKJV) I charge <you> therefore before God and the Lord
Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing
and His kingdom:
verse 8 (NKJV) Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on
that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His
appearing.
But failing is not the norm. It is the exception, as we'll see.
GOD IS A FATHER
Now that God has called us into His family, forgiven us of our sins,
buried our old nature in the death of Jesus, and raised us up as a new
child of God in the resurrection of Jesus, why would He want to cast us
away? Is the very life blood of Jesus not worth any more to Him than that?
Can you see how the attitude implied in the phrase, "If I make it..."
could be an affront to God? Here He has done all of these things to bring
us into a Father/child relationship with Him and we are afraid that He is
going to kick us out of the family?
Many of us are parents. All of us are children to someone, although our
parents may be deceased. All of us were imperfect parents and all of us
were imperfect children. The same holds true of our parents; they too were
imperfect. Yet it is my guess that very few of you were ever disowned by
your parents; or ever disowned any of your children. It is increasingly
common, however, for children to disown their parents. I wonder if there
isn't a parallel here for all those people who disown God. Anyway, even if
you did disown your children, they are still your children. There is no
escaping that fact. The same is true with God. We are His children if we
have accepted the sacrifice of His perfect Son, Jesus, as our personal
Savior and been immersed in His name. There is no escaping that fact. But
God is the perfect parent. Where we failed, He succeeds; where we
chastised in anger, He chastises in love; where we made profound mistakes,
He makes profound correct decisions. How then can we imagine that God will
allow the good work that He has began in us to fail? It just cannot happen
... except in one way:
Heb 10:26-31 (NKJV) For if we [continue to] sin willfully
after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer
remains a sacrifice for sins, {27} but a certain fearful expectation of
judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. {28}
Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the
testimony of two or three witnesses. {29} Of how much worse punishment,
do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of
God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was
sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? {30} For we
know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine [belongs to Me], I will repay,"
says the Lord. And again, "The LORD will judge His people." {31}
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
If we despise our position in the Family of God so much that we are
willing to continue to live a life of sin, not caring about God's
desire to see us perfected, then it is possible to abort yourself
out of His very family. But if we find ourselves making mistakes and
falling into sin, but hating the condition of sin and sincerely desiring
to go to "the throne of grace" for forgiveness, then we have not
even come close to committing the "unpardonable sin.@
Only we can take ourselves out of the Family of God. God has placed
us in it, and He will never forsake us.
Heb 13:5 (NKJV) <Let your> conduct <be> without covetousness; <be>
content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I
will never leave you nor forsake you."
1 John 1:8-9 (NKJV) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us. {9} If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us <our> sins and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness.
Isa 55:7 (NKJV) Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous
man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on
him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.
Heb 4:14-16 (NKJV) Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who
has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast
<our> confession. {15} For we do not have a High Priest who cannot
sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all <points> tempted as <we
are>, <yet> without sin. {16} Let us therefore come boldly to the throne
of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help
in time of need.
It is not difficult to understand what our position is in the Family of
God. It is really quite simple. We have been begotten (some would say born
.. let's not argue about semantics at this point) into the very Family of
God. We are already members of that family although we have not been fully
completed. That will take place at the resurrection when we are changed
from mortal into immortal. God is perfect, so by extension one can
conclude that His family must also be perfect. But we are human beings and
are not yet perfect. So how can we be a part of a perfect family? It can
only be done through the perfect sacrifice of the first of the Firstborn,
Jesus Christ. Through His blood we are cleansed of all our sins and
made perfect in the sight of God. Now we are members of His perfect
Family.
SIN AND FORGIVENESS
But we still sometimes sin, transgress the law, miss the mark, and not
follow our Father's instruction as laid down in the first five books of
the Bible. Some call it the Pentateuch; some call it the Torah. So how can
we continue to be a part of the perfect Family of God when we fall again
into sin? As we just read in the scriptures, we need to go to God and ask
forgiveness for our transgressions and He will forgive us again. After
all, did you kick your child out of the house the first time he disobeyed
you? Or the second, or the third? Of course not, and neither does God, the
righteous Father, do so to us.
This process continues all of the days of our physical lives. We miss
the mark by sinning so we go to the Father for forgiveness through the
blood of the Messiah. Hopefully, in the process, we learn some things, and
we improve over our early years so that our sins become less frequent and
less flagrant. This is called "growing in grace and knowledge..."
in 2 Peter 3:18 and "...the perfecting of the saints..." in Eph
4:12. It is a process, designed and initiated by God so that He can bring
"...many sons into glory..." as stated in Heb 2:10.
Prov 4:18 (NKJV) But the path of the just <is> like the shining sun,
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
There can be no question that you are going to make it because you are
under grace (unmerited pardon) and not subject to the law of sin and
death. Does this mean that you cannot sin? NO, of course you can still
sin. The instruction book still exists and its rules or laws are still in
effect. Paul addresses this very idea:
Rom 6:14-17 (NKJV) For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you
are not under law but under grace. {15} What then? Shall
we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! {16}
Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you
are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin <leading> to death,
or of obedience <leading> to righteousness? {17} But God be thanked that
<though> you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form
of doctrine to which you were delivered.
FAITH
What is required of you is complete trust and confidence (i.e. faith)
that God will accomplish in you what He has already begun; to believe that
He can and will do what He has promised to do. Faith was the very thing
the children of Israel lacked when they refused to trust God to take them
into the promised land. As a result they suffered forty years of wandering
in the wilderness and those who refused to trust were not allowed in.
Nearly all died in the wilderness. When we say "If I make it ..." we are
acting very much like those faithless Israelites. We are not trusting the
great God of the Universe to accomplish His good work in us.
But where can we obtain this complete confidence, trust and faith? Even
that comes, not from us, but from God through Christ.
Heb 12:parts of 1 and 2 (NKJV) ... let us lay aside every weight, and
the sin which so easily ensnares <us>, and let us run with endurance the
race that is set before us, {2} looking unto Jesus, the author and
finisher of <our> faith.
Yes, even our faith is a gift from God. All we really provide is the
willing vessel with which God works. Everything else is God's doing. We
find ourselves in trouble when we try to take over the plan ourselves,
when we try to do it our way instead of the way God wants us to do it.
Have you not seen your own children suffer and chafe under that same kind
of attitude, unwilling to do it the way you have instructed them, but
wanting to do it their way instead? We are just like little children
before God. What we need to develop is not childhood rebellion, but that
beautiful quality of openness to learning, that a very young child has,
childhood faith.
Mat 18:3 (NKJV) .... "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are
converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the
kingdom of heaven.
OVERCOMING
Some may object to this positive interpretation of the process of
salvation. After all, do not the scriptures say:
Rev 21:7 (NKJV) "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I
will be his God and he shall be My son.
1 Pet 4:18 (KJV) And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall
the ungodly and the sinner appear?
But this passage goes right on to give us the true and faithful answer:
verse 19 (KJV) Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will
of God commit the keeping of their souls <to him> in well doing, as
unto a faithful Creator.
Yes, we must be overcomers, but the overcoming, just like our faith, is
authored and accomplished in us by the power of God, the Holy Spirit that
dwells in us.
How does one go about overcoming? Is it by being scared to death if we
break even the minutest rule? Or is it by allowing the Spirit to lead us
into all righteousness? It is not a question of the need to
overcome our sinful natures, rather it is a question of how we are
to accomplish the overcoming. One is a salvation by works, where it is
entirely up to us to live sinless lives, the other is salvation "by
grace through faith." We must have a confidence wherein we trust God
to give us the power we need to accomplish the task. The first is doomed
to failure, the second is destined for success.
Heb 12:1-4 (NKJV) Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so
great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every impediment [that is,
the sin which easily hampers our forward movement], and the sin which so
easily ensnares <us>, and let us run with endurance the race that is set
before us, {2} trusting Jesus, the author and finisher of <our>
faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the
throne of God. {3} For consider Him who endured such hostility from
sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in
your souls. {4} You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against
sin.
THE LEADING SPIRIT
If you are a true son or daughter of God Almighty, then the Holy Spirit
of God dwells in you. This indwelling Spirit is the earnest payment, the
guarantee from God, that He is going to accomplish that which He has set
out to do.
2 Cor 1:21-22 (NIV) Now it is God who makes both us and you
stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, {22} set His seal of ownership on
us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, [as down payment,]
guaranteeing what is to come.
We can choose to follow the Spirit of God or to follow our own minds
and hearts. However, to do the latter puts us in jeopardy because then we
are denying that part of us which has been made holy. Thus the scriptures
tell us:
1 Th 5:19 (KJV) Quench not the Spirit.
Or we can act in a way that brings grief to God through the Spirit that
seals us and makes us holy (set apart).
Eph 4:29-32 (NKJV) Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but
what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace unto
the hearers. {30} And do not grieve the holy Spirit of God, whereby
you are sealed for the day of redemption. {31} Let all bitterness,
and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from
you, with all malice: {32} And be kind to one another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
When the urge comes over you to do good, DO IT! That is the Holy Spirit
leading you. On the other hand, when the urge comes over you to do wrong
or speak evil of another, DON'T DO IT! That is either your own carnal
nature talking to you or the Adversary himself needling into your mind.
Psa 37:27-29 (NKJV) Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell
forevermore. {28} For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His
saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the
wicked shall be cut off. {29} The righteous shall inherit the land, And
dwell in it forever.
When we are tempted to do wrong, to sin, to miss the mark; immediately
we need to ask our Father in heaven, for assistance to overcome the
temptation and to put the evil urge out of our mind and heart. He will
answer our prayer.
To live in the Spirit is to live with God and for God, not being
mindful of our present circumstances or conditions. Perhaps we are where
we are, not because of sin, but because God is teaching us something that
will prove to be a blessing for us and for others at another time and
place. So be open to discipline.
Heb 12:6 (NKJV) For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges
every son whom He receives."
To live in the Spirit is to totally trust God that He, "...will never
leave you nor forsake you." Heb 13:5.
To live in the Spirit is to have total and complete confidence in God
that He will complete in us the work that He has begun to do.
This again is FAITH!!!
Sometimes the Children of God feel worthless and of no value to God or
man. That was true when they were living in the flesh, according to the
ways of the world. It is definitely not true when they live in the power
of the Holy Spirit.
Rom 8:1-2 (NKJV) <There is> therefore now no condemnation to those
who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but
according to the Spirit. {2} For the law of the Spirit of life in
Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
Rom 6:4 (NKJV) Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into
death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Our old man has been crucified with Christ, therefor we should now be
walking in "newness of life", living our lives in such a way as to be
pleasing to God. He has given us the instruction book on how to live our
lives. It is called the Bible; a book Islam hates. We need to obey these
instructions in the way that our Saviour has shown us, following His
example and teaching.
John 1:17 (NKJV) For the law was given through Moses, <but> grace and
truth came through Jesus Christ.
Rom 8:3-8 (NKJV) For what the law could not do in that it was weak
through the flesh, God <did> by sending His own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, {4} that
the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not
walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. {5} For those
who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the
flesh, but those <who live> according to the Spirit, the things of the
Spirit. {6} For to be carnally minded <is> death, but to be spiritually
minded <is> life and peace. {7} Because the carnal mind <is> enmity
against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
{8} So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
John 10:10 (NKJV) "The thief does not come except to steal, and to
kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they
may have <it> more abundantly.
verses 27-28 (NKJV) "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and
they follow Me. {28} "And I give them eternal life, and they shall
never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
ATTITUDE
The whole question here is one of attitude. How do we look at
ourselves? Do we see ourselves as still the fleshly son of Adam? Or do we
see ourselves as the begotten child of God? How we answer that question
will have a profound impact on the way we conduct our lives. If we see
ourselves as a child of God we will want to act as one of His. If we see
ourselves as the fleshly son of Adam, living according to our old sinful
nature, we will be constantly trying (but never able) to overcome sin by
our own strength.
God cannot raise us to our full potential as His child as long as we
live by our old sinful nature. True, that was what we used to do,
but now we are a child of God, begotten by the Holy Spirit, the
very power of God that dwells in us. Not only that, but our very own
fleshly body is the Temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells.
1 Cor 6:19-20 (NKJV) Or do you not know that your body is the temple
of the Holy Spirit <who is> in you, whom you have from God, and you are
not your own? {20} For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God
in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
So what can we conclude?
1. All those who have been called out of the world have the
opportunity to become saints.
2. Saints are identified as those who keep God's commandments
and have faith that Jesus Christ is their personal Saviour.
3. Only if we turn our backs on God by deciding to rebel against Him
and the Holy Spirit which leads us; only if we knowingly sin and do not
have remorse for and repent of the sin; only if we do not care if God is
pleased with our conduct and growth, do we who are called run the risk of
not making it into the Kingdom and Family of God.
We should confidently look forward with great anticipation to the day
when our physical body will be raised or changed into an immortal body,
when we will never sin again. In the mean time we can say: "When (not if)
I make it fully into the very Kingdom and Family of God.@