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People who believe there
is eternal life with the creator and the righteous or
eternal death with the devil and the unrighteous attempt to
follow some interpretation of God's principles, precepts
and commands. God requires a person to be "In Christ" to be
acceptable. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things
have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV)
The lifestyle of these people will include:
1. Loving, honoring, glorifying, praising and
worshiping God as He has directed in His Word
2. Desiring the best for everyone, even their
enemies.
3. Providing for those in need, the widows,
orphans and especially Christians.
Since it is "In Him (Christ) we have redemption, the
forgiveness of our sins", (Ephesians 1:7) then our primary
concern should be in learning how Christ desires us to
live. It should be obvious that His commands, teachings and
examples are to be found in His Word. One teaching is in
the following parable:
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test
Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit
eternal life?" "What is written in the Law?" he replied.
"How do you read it?" He answered: "'Love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your
neighbor as yourself.'" "You have answered correctly,"
Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." But he wanted
to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my
neighbor?" (Luke 10:25-29)
After relating the parable of the "Good Samaritan", Jesus
allowed the Pharisee to answer his own question. "The
expert in the law replied, 'The one who had mercy on him'."
(Luke 10:37) Jesus told him to do what he knew to do, which
was to love his neighbor as himself.
We are also told to "Be imitators of God, therefore, as
dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as
Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant
offering and sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:1-2) and "If
you love me, you will obey what I command." (John
14:15)
There are many instructions to Christians, those "In
Christ," on how to become imitators of God thus living in
the AFTER-LIFE with God.
"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone
loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For
everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the
lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does
comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and
its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God
lives forever." (1 John 2:15-17)
"This is how we know that we love the children of God: by
loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for
God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not
burdensome." (1 John 5:2-3)
To those in Christ the Apostle John wrote "This is the
message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is
light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to
have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie
and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light,
as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."
(1 John 1:5-7)
"We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that
you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is
with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ." (1 John
1:3)
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and
the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify
us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not
sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no
place in our lives." (1 John 1:8-10)
"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the
spirits to see whether they are from God, because many
false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how
you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that
acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is
from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus
is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,
which you have heard is coming and even now is already in
the world." (1 John 4:1-3)
"Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth
by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of
teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their
deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we
will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that
is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held
together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds
itself up in love, as each part does its work. So I tell
you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no
longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their
thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and
separated from the life of God because of the ignorance
that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves
over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of
impurity, with a continual lust for more." (Ephesians
4:14-19)
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved,
clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness and patience." (Colossians 3:12)
"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you
may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave
you." (Colossians 3:13)
"Above all these put on love, which binds everything
together in perfect harmony (unity - ISV)." (Colossians
3:14 ESV)
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as
members of one body you were called to peace. And be
thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you
teach and admonish one another." (Colossians 3:15-16)
"Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the
name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father
through Him." (Colossians 3:17)
"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your
faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to
knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance;
and to perseverance, godliness, and to godliness, brotherly
kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you
possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will
keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:5-8)
"In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow
their own ungodly desires." These are the men who divide
you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the
Spirit. But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your
most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep
yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our
Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful
to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save
them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear-hating even the
clothing stained by corrupted flesh. (Jude 17-23)
It is clear from the above that those in Christ must grow.
Therefore, the critical question is "How do I grow?" in
order that my life becomes a mirror of God's image. What
can I do to become more like God continually reflecting a
clearer likeness of his essence and nature of love, truth
and justice as I grow older?
Quotations are from the
New International
Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.
Those who believe in neither an
AFTER-LIFE or AFTER-DEATH or believe that everyone will
live eternally with God live by the philosophy of:
1. Eat, drink and be merry for
tomorrow you may die.
2. What is mine is mine and what
is your's I will take if I want it.
3. Whoever acquires the most in
life wins.
4. I fear no one, God nor man. I
AM the one with the power.
Consequently, they follow the action of Adam and Eve by
yielding to their desires and doing what they wanted to do
rather than what God desires. God said to them in Genesis
2:16-17 "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;
but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall
not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely
die." But in Genesis 3:4-6, 13 we read "Then the serpent
said to the woman, 'You will not surely die. For God knows
that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and
you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' So when the
woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was
pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one
wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her
husband with her, and he ate." -- "And the LORD God said to
the woman, 'What is this you have done?'"
James put it this way in James 1:12-15 "Blessed is the man
who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he
will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised
to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted,
"I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil,
nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted
when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then,
when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin,
when it is full-grown, brings forth death."
Therefore, by the disobedience of Adam and Eve, yielding to
their desires, sin entered the world. "Therefore, just as
through one man sin entered the world, and death through
sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned."
(Romans 5:12)
But there is hope "For just as you presented your members
as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to
more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of
righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of
sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit
did you have then in the things of which you are now
ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now
having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of
God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end,
everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death." (Romans
6:19-23)
The following are several references to things God
considers sin, lawlessness, rebellion and disobedience.
Those who practice such live for the AFTER-DEATH.
Genesis
6:5-6 "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was
great in the earth, and that every imagination of the
thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it
repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it
grieved him at his heart. (KJV)
Genesis
13:13 "But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners
before the LORD exceedingly." (KJV)
Genesis
19:4-5 "They called to Lot, "Where are the men who
came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can
have sex with them." (NIV)
Ephesians
5:5 "For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure
or greedy person-such a man is an idolater-has any
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." (NIV)
Hebrews
10:26-31 "For if we sin willfully after we have
received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer
remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful
expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will
devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' law
dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three
witnesses. 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? For we know Him who said, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will
repay,' says the Lord. And again, 'The LORD will judge His
people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of
the living God."
James
1:19-21 "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man
be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the
wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of
wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word,
which is able to save your souls."
2 Peter
2:4-11 "For if God did not spare the angels who
sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into
chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did
not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight
people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood
on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of
Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to
destruction, making them an example to those who afterward
would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was
oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that
righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous
soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless
deeds) - then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out
of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment
for the day of judgment, and especially those who walk
according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and
despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They
are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, whereas
angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a
reviling accusation against them before the Lord."
2 Peter
2:12-17 "But these, like natural brute beasts made
to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they
do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own
corruption, and will receive the wages of unrighteousness,
as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime.
They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own
deceptions while they feast with you, having eyes full of
adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable
souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and
are accursed children. They have forsaken the right way and
gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor,
who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he was rebuked
for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man's voice
restrained the madness of the prophet. These are wells
without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is
reserved the blackness of darkness forever."
Revelation
20:10 "The devil, who deceived them, was cast into
the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the
false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night
forever and ever."
Revelation
21:8 "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable,
murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all
liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with
fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
1 John 1:10
"If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and
His word is not in us".
Now there may be lots of debating about exactly the nature
of the AFTER-DEATH. Is it literal or figurative,
never-ending torment or annihilation and on and on.
Regardless of the nature of the AFTER-DEATH it will be so
terrible and so final that no one in his or her right mind
would want to be sent there to reside for all eternity.
The eternal residents will be:
Angles who rebelled
Devil (Satan)
Beast
False Prophet
Cowardly (fearful)
Unbelieving
Abominable
Murderers
Sexually immoral (fornicators)
Sorcerers
Idolaters
Liars
Quotations are from
the New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise
noted.
The good news is that it is not
necessary to leave the land of the dying to enter the land
of the dead. Notice God's invitation to Israel in
Deuteronomy 30:15-20: "See, I have set before you today
life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today
to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep
His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you
may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you
in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart
turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and
worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today
that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your
days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in
and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today
against you, that I have set before you life and death,
blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you
and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD
your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may
cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your
days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD
swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to
give them." (NKJV)
God's desire for those created in His image - His nature is
for them to be reconciled to Him, in their intimate
relationship immediately following their burial into
Christ's death. "The Lord is not slow about his promise, as
some people understand slowness, but is being patient with
you. He does not want anyone to perish, but wants everyone
to repent 1 " (2 Peter 3:9). "You see, at just
the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died
for the ungodly. …. But God demonstrates his own love for
us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for
us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much
more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!"
(Romans 5:6-10)
1Not a mere
feeling; it has not the uncertainty of moods and
sentiments. It is not a simple change in the weather of
the soul. It is a distinct alteration of the focus of
the intelligence; it carries with it a movement of the
will; in short, it is a revolution in the very ground
of the man's being" (The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 18, p.
66 quoted in RE-FLECTIONS #515 Al Maxey, January 3,
2012)
God's Invitation to the World
Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon
you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy
and My burden is light." (NKJV)
1 Corinthians 2:9-11 "But as it is written: 'Eye has not
seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the
Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of
the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of
God except the Spirit of God."
Matthew 28:18-20 "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying,
'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things
that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always,
even to the end of the age.' Amen."
Mark 1:14-15 Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of
the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and
the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the
gospel." (NKJV)
Matthew 6:33-34 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will
worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its
own trouble."
Romans 6:16-19 "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? 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. And having
been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your
flesh.
For just as you presented your members as slaves of
uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more
lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of
righteousness for holiness."
Acts 4:10-12 "Let it be known to you all, and to all the
people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the
dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is
the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has
become the chief cornerstone.' Nor is there salvation in
any other, for there is no other name under heaven given
among men by which we must be saved."
There is No Guarantee of a Tomorrow
The tragedy is that nobody has to lose Heaven and gain
Hell. The choice is ours. We are free to determine our own
eternal destiny. If Heaven is a prepared place for a
prepared people then Hell is a place prepared for an
unprepared people.
2 Corinthians 6:2 "Behold, now is the accepted time;
behold, now is the day of salvation."
John 15:10 "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in
my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and
abide in his love." (KJV)
Those "In Christ" living for the AFTER-LIFE must be aware
of temptations constantly set before them by the Devil as
there are examples in both the Old Testament and New
Testament of God's children disobeying God and going back
into the ways of the world. Those not "In Christ" who
desire to be His Child need to seriously consider what the
Bible has told others to do.
Hear
Study diligently and read what the Christ
taught for they are the Words of life.
Understand
All men are sinful having disobeyed God's
righteous ways and commands
All have sinned and are not living according
to God's commands
Sin will result in my eternal death
One must be forgiven to have eternal life with
God
Christ is the only way for one to be forgiven
of all my sins. Salvation is in on one else.
Believe Jesus
Was and is God
Came to earth in human flesh as Jesus of
Nazareth
Lived among men
Willingly gave His sinless
physical life as the
perfect sacrifice for my sins, being crucified
Was buried
God raised Him from the grave on the third
day
Appeared to hundreds of his disciples
following His resurrection
Ascended back to heaven to be with the
Father
Repent
Change my life from sin and disobedience to
trust and Obedience
Confess
Acknowledge publicly your belief that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God.
Seek Call upon God to forgive
your of my sins
Die
Put to death my old, sinful, worldly life
Be Buried
Bury that sinful life you put to death in the
grave of baptism by water immersion into the death, burial
and resurrection of Christ, allowing God to raise you from
the grave, following your death and burial, as a new
Creation.
Receive
The Holy Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing what
is to come
Become
A new Christian as God has add you as His
adopted child to the other children into the body of
Christ, assembly of Christians, the Church Christ
established.
Live
Continue to live steadfastly and obediently to
Christ and the apostles teachings "I urge you to live a
life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely
humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in
love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit
through the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:1-3)
Take action
Indeed the "right time" is now. Today is
the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2 NLT)
Quotations are from the New King James Version
unless otherwise noted.
1. It is possible to see the infinite greatness of God by observing the heavens, stars and other earthly wanders?
2. The Land of the Dying, earthly life, is bound up in material things, that is, things that are seen?
3. The Land of the Living, eternal life, is composed of invisible things such as righteousness, peace, love, joy, compassion and truth?
4. The Kingdom of God is like young children because both
Love unconditionally
Are transparent
Do not hold grudges
Have no hidden agenda
A, C & D
B, C & D
A, B, C & D
5. The Bible does not say anything about everlasting death?
6. Those God sends to eternal death live a lifestyle of obedience to God's word?
7. From the scriptures we learn that hell is just an absence from God?
8. Mankind does not have a choice between good and evil, that is, between eternal life and eternal death?