Regrets or Rewards: By James Lantz
Most everyone desires to be rewarded with eternal life after the completion of our time here on earth but only those who receive the gift of God’s Son go to be with the Lord for ever and ever. God’s will for each and every person is that we receive salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ and then begin a new life as God’s representative here on the earth. 2 Cor. 5:18 NLT And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. Many of God’s people are not properly discerning between what Christ has done for us as our substitute vs. what He has done as our example. Salvation is a free gift that we do not deserve and cannot earn! It was God’s desire and choice to grant redemption freely to fallen man through faith! It also is God’s plan for us to do good works in which we will be rewarded! These good works that we have been ordained to are not a payback for God’s gracious gift of eternal life, but rather a reasonable service that we provide because we belong to the Lord Jesus. In other words, now that we are children of God, we are to do the things that our Heavenly Father does. Eph. 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Jesus said that our obedience in following His instructions proves that we love Him and that we will be rewarded in this life and in the one to come.
We (fallen man) were powerless to escape the judgement to the devils hell that became ours through rebellion and disobedience to Father God. The only way for us to escape eternal judgement in hell was for Jesus to take our punishment as our substitute. Adam, the first man, rebelled against God’s assignment to guard and rule over God’s creation, and delivered his authority to Satan for a piece of fruit. Jesus, the Son of man, the second Adam, the Son of God refused to give up His authority for a piece of bread and the glory of the kingdoms of this world. Jesus, the Son of man, maintained His right standing with the Father by refusing to relinquish His authority to the devil, proving that a man could resist temptation. Jesus willingly offered Himself as the sacrificial lamb of God in which He bore all of our sins and took all of our sicknesses as our substitute but the way He lived is our example! Jesus obeyed His earthly parents,
Jesus our substitute and Jesus our example!
resisted the devil, was baptized in water and with the Holy Ghost. Jesus submitted to His heavenly Father’s plan, refusing to retaliate when He was insulted nor threaten revenge when He suffered. 1 Pet. 2:21-23 NLT For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.
Choose the truth and walk in it and you will receive great reward! Jesus said, I am the truth! Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of truth. John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. The word of God is truth! Ps. 33:4 For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. As we (Jesus disciples) continue in the word we shall know the truth and the truth makes us free! God is big on truth and God is big on people being freed from the devil’s bondage! We can not even come to God without believing that He is God. Remember the Pharisee who prayed with himself because he refused to acknowledge that his self righteousness did not qualify for a meeting with the Almighty? You do not need to be a bible scholar nor even own a bible to look around at God’s creation and recognize there is a creator who is to be worshiped. Those who rebel against acknowledging and worshipping the Almighty have their foolish hearts darkened and then turn to worshipping the creation instead of the Creator. Rom. 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. When we receive the truth God gives us more and more understanding. Every child of God should understand the basic foundational doctrines of Christ as listed in Hebrews six. Repentantance from dead works and faith towards God, the doctrine of baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgement. Far to many of God’s people are getting no answers to their prayers because they are endeavoring to get God to accept their methods (dead works) instead of what God said. The self righteous Pharisee that Jesus referred to as praying thus with himself was neither stealing nor committing adultery. He was fasting twice each week and giving tithes of all that he possessed but that was not enough to receive God’s approval. God is looking at our heart and our motives. This Pharisee was emphasizing what he was doing and not the fact that God is gracious and merciful. Luke 18:14 . . . every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. It is right to do good works but we can not come to God based on what we have done but rather believing in His goodness through the Lord Jesus Christ! The Spirit of God exhorts us that the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned. (see 1 Tim. 1:5) Unfeigned faith is unfake faith or we would say real faith. Obviously there were some in the church that said they were in faith but they were fakes. They talked a lot of stuff but they were not doers of the word nor were they victorious in fighting the good fight of faith. In order to be victorious in this life our faith must be based on truth and not on the doctrine of the commandments of men.
One doctrine of men believed by many is that God will grant the rebellious and disobedient people another chance after this life. God is a God of many chances but after this life those who refused Christ will go to hell in which there is no escape. God’s truth is repeated many times throughout the scriptures and the doctrines of Christ are sure! Abraham told the rich man who was in hell, remember that in your lifetime you received good things, and Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and you are tormented. Luke 16:26 NLT And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there. Jesus said, he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned. According to what some people teach, Jesus would have had to add, except for those who get another chance in the next life. Now we know that Jesus is not going to add to the scriptures after telling us not to add or take away from the Holy word of God!
Cursed is everyone that adds to or takes away from the gospel!
Rev. 22:18 And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. Dr. Luke writes that Judas by transgression fell and will go to his own place. Paul writing by the Spirit, says, if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. The Holy Spirit speaks of the mystery of godliness, God being manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. In his letter to the Hebrews, Paul writes that it is appointed unto men to die one time and after this is the judgement. Paul didn’t say that there would be additional grace for those who fooled away their precious opportunity here on the earth! Jude didn’t write that we are not to worry if we don’t receive salvation in this life because God is going to make another way through something called purgatory. No, purgatory is a doctrine made up by men endeavoring to find a way for ungodly people who live loose and unrestrained lives to share in the rewards of the righteous. Jude 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
We do not get to choose that God is exceedingly gracious to those who love (obey) Him and extremely severe to those who refuse Him but we are granted a short time on earth to choose the Lord Jesus Christ. We do not have to worry or sweat the judgement that awaits the disobedient ones if we accept God’s gracious offer to give our life to Jesus who in turn gives us eternal life. 2 Cor. 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) God delights when we respond to His gracious gift in like manner in which it was given! God’s willingness to have Jesus leave heaven for a time and Jesus willingness to suffer and give His life for us radically changed their lives and we need to embrace radical change in our lives. Those who greatly value the gift of life consider it a small thing to commit and submit ourselves to the advancing of God’s kingdom!
Deut. 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live
