Eternal Life

You have eternal life. In fact, so does everyone you know.

Billy Graham has it.
Michael Jackson has it.
Mother Theresa has it.
Hitler has it.

The point is, where are you going to spend it?

I tend to cringe when I hear people say to someone who was just saved, “Now you have eternal life!” No, actually, they just now have it through Jesus' inheritance. They will no longer be judged by their works, but by the righteousness of Christ's blood that covers them.

Revelation 20:13-15; 21:6-8
“Then the sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead; all were judged according to their works. Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.... And He said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give to the thirsty from the spring of living water as a gift. The victor will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son. But the cowards, unbelievers, vile, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars – their share will be in the lake of sulfur, which is the second death.'”

One of the reasons I feel so strongly that it should worded this way is that it puts an extra pressure on us to share the Gospel. It's one thing if I think a person just doesn't have eternal life happily with Jesus; That perhaps they pass into oblivion. But to think that they will spend eternity in agony, in a place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30, Luke 13:28), wishing they had followed Jesus, spurs me to try harder and love deeper.

Are You Hated?

I'm back! Whew, what a trip. I'll have to share some of it with you later, but for now, I'd like to continue on with what I've been reading in 1 John. Besides, sometimes it takes us a while to process everything and this trip was certainly one of those...

One of the first verses that always pops out to me when reading 1 John 3 is verse 13. "Do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you." This seems to be such a harsh statement, but so true. If we are following Christ fully there are going to be many who hate us. Light annoys the darkness. It reminds me of what Jesus says in John 15:18-20. "If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you: 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me. they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours."

They problem comes in when we realize our natural tendency is to try and be liked by all. We don't want to be hated, so we try to do things to smooth it over and be popular with the world. I just heard of a church that passed out free beer on Father's Day in order to entice men to come to church. While I can see how that did get some people into a church who may have never gone before, I wonder what the point was. Now these people have a worldly expectation of the church which has nothing to do with salvation. I probably preached to Gospel, but were they sober enough to hear it? What about people who were alcoholics, or had the tendency? My point is that so many churches try to please the people, they loose creditability and the point of the Gospel. To be blunt, they are not "hated" enough.

Don't get me wrong - we don't need to try and be hated. Fun is allowed and great! We just need to make sure the world doesn't effect us too greatly. Don't be a heathen nor a Pharisee. Be a follower of Christ. Your attendance may dwindle and you will not be the most popular, but at least you will hear, "...Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master's joy!" Matthew 25:23