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            The human soul lives forever in one of two places—everyone must take advantage of God’s guarantee of salvation through trust on the shed Blood of His Son.  Eternal life is so vitally important that we must know the conditions, and the preparation, for entering God’s kingdom. 

            We must not be distracted by “the cares of this life” Luke 21:34; which is why Jesus warned Luke 21:36 “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

            Eternal life is the one important issue—to be with God and our Savior for ever and ever.  The other fate is an eternity in the flames with the devil and all the unsaved sinners who would not believe nor trust God.  It is impossible to fully describe the majesty of Heaven; and equally impossible to describe the horrors of Hell—but they are both real places.  Heaven is for those who trust God in believing faith; and Hell is for those who do not trust Him in rebellious unbelief.

            Satan’s one intention is to prevent us from entering Heaven by destroying our faith in the Atonement of Christ.  The devil will use any one, any thing, or any religious message to wither our faith in God.  There are a huge amount of delusions and false doctrines today, because most religious messages contain no teaching that would prepare anyone for Heaven.  Most churches do not teach about believing faith and trust on the living God for things in this life.

            If this life is the only place to be prepared for the next—because it is the only place where spiritual growth can take place—then we must allow God to teach us what we need to know about changing our heart to trust on Him.

            God has not changed Malachi 3:6; James 1:17, and the Atonement for sin still stands because Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”  Whatever God did for believers in the Bible, He will do for any believer today—but it takes the same believing faith in Him to prove it.

            Only the righteous enter God’s kingdom, but righteousness is only by a trusting faith in the Atonement Blood of Christ—for physical healing and divine protection—without human means, weapons, prescriptions, or drugs.  Real faith on God includes real answers to prayer concerning finances, the home, spiritual enlightenment, and everything else.  False teaching is from Satan to hinder our blessings here and to stop our preparation for eternity.

            Three qualifications for eternal life are 1) a new birth; 2) a full surrender of our life to God; and 3) spiritual growth under the teaching of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said the first step was a new birth John 3:3, which enables spiritual growth.  The old heart attitude will not trust God for anything, so it must be replaced with a new attitude that will trust God for everything.

            The second step is an uncompromising surrender of our life to God.  His will is to be done, and His Word to be followed with every detail of life.  This total commitment to God enables Him to remove the control of the devil, and to replace it with the power of the Spirit.  God has been so merciful that it is only reasonable to Romans 12:1 “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.”

            We must believe that we have the Holy Spirit—once we have committed our life to God.  If we give good gifts to our own children Luke 11:13 “how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”  When we allow God to transform our heart, then we can Romans 12:2 “prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

            Jesus said that no one will enter the kingdom of God unless they follow the Word of God in believing faith.  Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Master, Master,’ will enter the Kingdom of the Heavens, but only those who are obedient to my Father who is in Heaven.”

            This second step of totally surrendering our life to God is vital, but many who claim to be Christians, have not heard about it, because churches do not teach it; and if they did hear it, most are not willing to carry through by faith.

            The third and most important step in being prepared for Heaven, is to believe, and then follow through with the teaching of the New Testament.  Jesus said John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth,” because the New Testament is a full explanation of God’s will concerning every aspect of our life on earth.  We are to believe and obey the Scriptures as they are written—not for any merit, but just for our preparation.

            Every word written in the New Testament is for our spiritual benefit and for our living hope of eternity.  It is tragic to see the way Satan has convinced so many, who claim to be followers of Christ, that they will get to Heaven without following the Word of God in their life.  This false belief has robbed them of everything Jesus died to give them in this life, and has robbed them of that all-important preparation for eternal life.

            Jesus lived on earth to give us a living hope for eternal life, and including everything we need in this life.  The Holy Spirit was given later so that we could have the power to live a life of obedient faith and trust.  God does not ask us to obey or to understand His Word by any ability of our own, but He provides the understanding and the power—we just provide a willingness to trust and obey.

            Eternity is possible only when we are scriptural in every aspect of life—which is a desire to follow New Testament teaching of trusting faith in the Blood of Christ for everything.  The Bible is the operator’s manual, and God is asking us to allow His Spirit to John 16:13 “guide you into all truth.”  Everything that touches our life will teach a spiritual lesson of trust on God—if we want to learn.

            It is deceptive to just read God’s Word, and not carry through with what it says.  James 1:21-22 “Ridding yourselves, therefore, of all that is vile and of the evil influences which prevail around you, welcome in a humble spirit the Message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls.  But prove yourselves obedient to the Message, and do not be mere hearers of it, imposing a delusion upon yourselves.”

            23-25 “For if any one listens but does not obey, he is like a man who carefully looks at his own face in a mirror.  Although he has looked carefully at himself, he goes away, and has immediately forgotten the sort of man he is.  But he who looks closely into the perfect Law—the Law of freedom—and continues looking, he, being not a hearer who forgets, but an obedient doer, will as the result of his obedience be blessed.”

            Jesus taught many important trust principles on living the Truth of the Bible.  Matthew 7:24 “Everyone who hears these my teachings and acts upon them [obeys; doeth them] will be found to resemble a wise man who builds his house upon rock.”  It is tragic that the majority proclaiming to be Christians do not know nor understand the teaching of that marvelous sermon—and know even less about doing what Jesus said.

            False teachers and eternal security people, believe that the only part for Christians today is the apostle Paul’s writings—everything else is before the cross and belongs to the Law.  When a certain ruler asked Luke 18:18, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said obey the Commandments — including 22 “Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me.”

            A lawyer asked Luke 10:25-28, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”  Jesus said, “What is written in the law?  What is your reading of it?”  So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”  Jesus replied, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”  John 14:23-24, “If anyone loves me [Jesus said], he will obey my teaching; [but] he who does not love me will not obey my teaching.”

            Eternal life is guaranteed only if we love God more than any thing, any interest, or any person on earth.  If we truly loved God, we would have absolute faith in Him, and would accept the entire teaching of His Holy Word.  We always accept the advice of a trusted friend, and we always reject the words of those in whom we have no confidence.  It is only reasonable, then, that if we had confidence in God, we would accept His advice and do what He says.

            Every human plan of the world is opposite to the divine plan in the Word.  The two are opposite, because the world’s way is inspired by the devil, and the Scriptures are inspired by the Spirit of God.  God says to pray for your enemies Matthew 5:44; Satan says get back at your enemies.  God says to store your treasure in heaven, and the devil says to store your money in banks.

            Anyone who has more confidence in the advice from fallen man and the devil, than they do in the advice from the Holy Scriptures, would never be ready for eternity.  1 John 2:4-5 “He who professes to know Him, and yet does not obey His commands, is a liar, and the truth has no place in his heart.  But whoever obeys His Message, in him love for God has in very deed reached perfection.”

            Anyone who professes to love God 6 “is himself also bound to live as He lived”—by faith and trust every day on a loving and faithful Father.  Jesus is called the Word, and He obeyed the Scriptures in everything, because they came from the Father.  Also Revelation 19:13 “He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.”

            The nature of Jesus Christ is revealed in the teaching of the New Testament—which is the true character of God, and is the attitude we must have—if we want to be ready for this new life.  Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” 

            He was humble, willing, and obedient to the Father—so if we are humble and willing to follow the Word, God will do the rest and will prepare us for eternal life—it is a lifetime guarantee.