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All people who ever lived will die, and then one day be resurrected to stand before the Creator of the world to be judged.

So God sent His Son, Jesus, 2,000 years ago to tell men by what criteria they would be judged after their death. Then He gave up His earthly Life so that His priceless Blood would seal, guarantee, the Covenant made between His Words and mankind.

We were told by Jesus that those who Love God with all facets of their being, and who Love all human beings in the same unconditional manner as He, God's Son, Loved us by giving up His Life for us, will then be allowed to live forever with God the Father and Jesus in a new, eternal Kingdom.

On the other hand, those who during their mortal life refused to Love God and all people the Way God the Father through Jesus commanded, would not be allowed to live eternally with Them.

But Jesus, when He was briefly here in the world in the flesh, also unveiled the Truth that no man has the ability to Love God and all people the Way that God requires. So when He gave up His Life for us, that sacrifice made available Graces, supernatural abilities that God instantly gives people as free gifts, that would enable a person to Love God and all people the way He requires.

The first Grace someone needs to receive from God is an event known as the New Birth, when God supernaturally and instantly gives a person a new spirit that joins them together in a spiritual union with God, it making God their Father and them His children. And we also get a new spiritual heart, it being of a "softer" substance than the one we hardened through years of being hurt in the world.

The next Graces needed to eventually be perfected in the Love of God that will one day qualify us for eternal Life, will vary from person to person. The new heart that was begun at the time of the New Birth will still have many impurities, so perhaps God will want to give us a Grace that instantly and miraculously cleanses us from one or more of these impurities. Or He may give us some other Grace first.

Regardless, after all impurities of the heart have been instantly and supernaturally removed over time; and after we have received from God all the Fruits of the Spirit (Love, Meekness, Joy, Peace, etc. - Gal. 5) in their fullness, and the Fruit of godly Wisdom, and are obedient to them; we will qualify for eternal Life, for such Graces will have finally yielded our being perfected in God's Love.

Of course, we could die here in the earth at any time before receiving all the Graces that are necessary to be perfected in God's Love, but since we have no control over that, and God has complete control, we can be sure that He knows what He is doing and that our responsibility is "just" to commit at whatever and all cost to the above, that which God says is required for us to live forever with Him.

Copyright 2004 by brother jim, Box 124, Allentown, PA, 18105, USA, brotherjim@mail.com - may be freely shared if done so without charge and if this notice is included.

Luke 10:25-28:

"And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted [Jesus], saying, 'Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?';

"He said unto him, 'What is written in the Law, how do you understand it to be?'

"And he answering, said, 'You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself.'

"And He said unto him, 'You have answered correctly: this do, and you will live.'"

"And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His Commandments.

"He that says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His Commandments, is a liar, and the Truth is not in him.

"But whoever keeps His Word, in him verily is the Love of God perfected: hereby we know that we are in Him."

1 Jn. 2:3-5

"And we have known and believed the Love that God has to us. God is Love; and he that dwells in Love dwells in God, and God in him.

Herein is Love made perfect with us, that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment: because as He is [perfect in Love], so are we in this world[, if indeed we are].

There is no fear in Love; but perfect Love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears [the Day of Judgment] is not made perfect in Love."

1 John 4:16-18

"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

"The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

"And the smoke of their torment ascended up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name.

"Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the Commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."

Rev. 14:9-12

"Blessed are those who do His Commandments, that they may have the right to the Tree of Life, and may enter through the Gates into The City, for outside [is] . . . whoever loves and practices a lie."

Rev. 22:14-15

"He who has My Commandments and keeps them, it is he who Loves Me.

"And he who Loves Me will be Loved by My Father, and I [too] will Love him and manifest Myself to him. . . .

"If anyone Loves Me, he will keep My Word; and My Father will Love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."

But since we also know: "By the works [of the flesh] of the Law, no person is justified in His Sight," then . . .

we can know that our obedience to the Commandments must ALL be by God's Spirit and Grace alone.

The next needed step after being born-again is our receiving the fullness of God's Love, which is given just as instantly and completely and miraculously as the New Birth. We become a candidate when we come out into the Light of Day that declares we have not been walking in Love and in the Spirit as we were commanded, and as the Word clearly and plainly states is required for eternal salvation (Luke 10:25-28, 1 Jn. 2:3-5, 1 Jn. 4:16-18, Rev. 22:14, etc.).

bj

Luke
13:6
He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.  
13:7
Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?  
13:8
And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:  
13:9
And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.  

"Why We as Christians Refuse to Love as Commanded," extracted from the book Fruits of the Spirit and of God by brother jim

Perhaps the singular biggest reason we as believers in Christ Jesus do not Love as commanded, is fear. We are afraid of being vulnerable, afraid of being used us as a "doormat," afraid of being hurt if the Love we express is unwanted and rejected.

Oh how greatly our adversary has used that fear to keep us bound to him, even to keep us from eternal Life.

While today's Evangelical and charismatic church has all but lost the true, apostolic Gospel of Christ Jesus, the devil is neither so blind nor forgetful. He knows, even if we do not, that eternal Life will only be inherited in the next age by those who have allowed God, by only His Spirit and Graces of course, to perfect His Love in them (Lk. 10:25-28, 1 Jn. 2:3-5, 1 Jn. 4:16-18, Rev. 22:14, Jn. 14:21-23, Lk. 13:6-9, etc.).

In Truth, however, such perfect Love of God is not something to be feared.

While most do not, the person who has received the fullness of God's Love (which is given just as instantly and miraculously as the New Birth)--not to be confused with It's perfection, which comes later, soon comes to realize that our adversary has been lying to them all along. Such step back amazed, as a spectator of sorts, when they discover the supernatural Love of God made to flow through them, when rejected, really does not hurt. It may at times bring sorrow, strictly being unselfishly sorrowed that the person who rejected such Love is missing out on Its blessing. But such truly does not bring the hurt of rejection that we all as adults have come to experience through the years, the result of our puppy and other humanistic loves.

When the born-again Christian receives the Love of God, and witnesses Its manifestation in those situations when God brings it forth, such is so supernatural, Its source so far removed from any work of man and his flesh, that the conduit of it most often realizes any rejection of God's Love is just that, a rejection of God and something He did, and is not taken personally.

(I emphasized the above phrase because people, both Christian and unbelievers alike, are quite mistaken to consider the actions of God's Love as being something that's manifested at all times and to all audiences. It is most definitely not so all-encompassing. When we as both Christian's and Love's recipients are flowing in that Love, walking in the Spirit, God will supernaturally and specifically manifest to others that Love when He so ordains, and also withhold it when He likewise so ordains--it's not a decision of man [except of course if we sinfully refuse to let it flow forth].)

(Know this: God's no fool; "God is not mocked." He will only ever allow Himself to be a doormat when He so desires to suffer that death. But most of the time He jealously guards Himself, not casting His "pearls before swine." But when He does become vulnerable, it's a pure display of the unconditionality of His Love, so done to give someone some final or near final opportunity to be saved from the consuming fire warned of in Luke 13:6-9, i.e. it's Him "dung[ing]" us.)

Sure, there are exceptions, for we are not perfect creatures and therefore even when the perfect Love of God is given to us, we at times will fail to let It alone. We will occasionally attempt to take away Its autonomy and will attach ourselves, trying to manipulate God's Love and join it to what our flesh wants to form in the way of friendships and the like. But the Word warns that we cannot be friends with the world, and by implication not be friends with the worldly, even the born-again worldly. But after just a few well-spaced allowances by God, when He steps back for a moment and lets us try and harness His Love and manipulate it, we will learn our lesson and let well enough, perfection, alone.

Besides, God does not need our help--contrary to popular opinion, and the best we can do is go along with Him for the Ride. We can "decrease," get out of His Way, sit back as He folds down the convertible top and brings forth the sunshine upon our countenance,--.

Or we can try and help, "think more highly of [our]selves than [we] ought," stick our fumbling hands into God's holy fire of Love, and get burnt a time or two or three, or however many times we want to masochistically indulge in our flesh.

But when we have studied the Commandments of Love; have meditated upon Love's definition as found in 1 Cor. Chap. 13--and all its synonyms; have perhaps read Paul's personal testimony of how he became "all things to all men, in the hopes [he] might save some," which is walking in Love as ALL are likewise commanded and required to do (again, by Grace and S(s)pirit only of course); then we have taken the first step after the New Birth in obtaining the next step of Grace leading to eternal salvation.

Please, I beseech you on behalf of Christ Jesus the Lord, do not buy into the great lie of the devil, which deception has us fear that if God's Love flows through us it will bring us hurt. For on the contrary, our participation is to get out of, and stay out of, Love's Way. When so accomplished we will amazingly discover of a Truth, it is truly God] supernaturally at work and therefore it is Him who is rejected and not us. And He will even at times allow us to walk away from Love’s rejection more joyous than ever, us knowing that He counted us worthy to "suffer" persecution for Him--although He will make it so as to not seem like it's suffering at all, but sheer Joy in the Holy Ghost.

Besides, it's the only Way to eternal Life, and "where are we to go, Jesus? You alone have the Words of Life." John 6:66--68 para.

Copyright 2004 by brother jim, Box 124, Allentown, PA, 18105-0124, USA--may be freely shared if done so without charge and if this notice is included.