by David Brenneman
"Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one." 1 Corinthians 2:6-15.
Unless one is saved by the confession of the mouth and the belief in the heart...a life never conceived of is never going to be seen.
Indeed read it again for yourself as to what coming to Christ for salvation is: "But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:8-13.
Eye indeed has not seen nor has ear ever heard all that God has prepared for those who love Him.
Think on that one. A life prepared for you and I from before we were ever born. Before we were ever known about is what God has prepared for us if we but come to Him for salvation through Jesus Christ alone.
"For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:20.
It's not just that there's a life we won't know if we aren't living a life of obedience to God's Word, with our faith and trust in Christ, but we're supposed to glorify God with our bodies.
Being blunt...how glorified is God in your body when you're participating in things of this world that you ought not to even be entertaining?
How glorified is God in your body when you're going after things of this world and are leaving behind the things that the Spirit is trying to teach you?
How glorified is God in your body when disobeying God is what you normally are doing rather than obeying?
How glorified is God in your body when people do not see any good works that cause them to glorify your Father in Heaven?
I was having a conversation last night with my Wife about the Final Judgement time. When all of mankind will stand before Jesus. Those who are saved will only have the account of their lives that they did for Jesus revealed as crowns of righteousness to give back to him. Those who are not saved will see their lives amount to nothing because as the Scriptures say, our own righteousness is as filthy rags.
By now we all know the name of the song "I Can Only Imagine". I imagine at this judgement these who turned down the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ will be shown what their lives could have been like had they said yes rather than refused. I also imagine that for Believer's that they will be shown what their's could have been like had they been fully committed.
In their book series of "Left Behind" I do think they probably got it right with the fact that all people will go through their one-on-one with Jesus at the same time. I imagine a sizeable chunk of even eternity would be taken up if every human being since Adam and Eve were dealt with one at a time.
How's your level of obedience to Christ and God's Word going these days? What is it about this world that you 'love' that you should not be? What is it about those around you that you 'love' that isn't appropriate? Who or what is taking first place in your heart that belongs to Jesus?
Throughout the early years of the church and decades that followed idolatry was warned about. John wrote of it, Paul wrote of it, Peter wrote of it. Idolatry is alive and well today in ways never before dreamed of by post-Genesis flood mankind.
Idolatry is wrapped up in all kinds of forms of sensuality and feelings. Cars, trucks, houses, properites, friends and even family are idolized above their relationship with Jesus.
People within the church and outside of it are more fearful of offending people than they are of offending the Holy God of the Universe and His Son Jesus Christ.
As the shirt says it and I've said in truth.
I would rather stand with God and be judged by the world than to stand with the world and be judged by God.
People these days lay claim to not having enough time to pray or be in God's Word to learn. Yet they carve out time for a game, for a movie, for this family function or that. They carve out time for expensive vacations yet don't give to their local church. They spend what money they do get from God (everything a Believer has comes from God and belongs to Him) on the most expensive things rather than on what's needed. We're several generations into the concept of keeping up with the Jones's. Right now a sermon series at www.graceforohio.org.
Are we going to be ashamed at what our life, our thoughts, our intentions are going to reveal on that day we stand before Jesus?
If you aren't saved...are you going to stand before Jesus in your own righteousness only to find out then that you're going to spend eternity paying for your own sins when you had the chance, the opportunity in this here this now, to have Jesus be your Savior?
Will Jesus be your Savior or your Judge when you see Him at that Judgement Day?
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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