Rom.5.18
Can we grasp the significance? Measure the worth? Weigh the value? Eternal life is not A gift it is THE gift. It is what the Holy Scriptures is all about. It is the purpose of creation - the reason for existance. It is what Adam and Eve once had, then lost, and Christ restored. Jesus, the second Adam, regained vacated Eden and now invites the rest of us to join with Him in a union of eternal bliss.
Think of a soft summer day. The sky is blue and clear, and the children are gaily playing. Someone, somewhere, is whistling a merry tune, and a redbird is busy at the feeder. All of your worries are put to rest while you absorb this moment. It is the first billion years of the everlasting gift. Nothing can compare to it. All that this world can offer - love, peace, joy, good fortune, you name it - fade to nothingness when compared to this single, glorious gift from God. Question is, how do you get it?
For 2000 years there has been a plan. It is a plan, so simple, that most of us miss it or refuse to believe it. Here it is - "IF THOU SHALT CONFESS WITH THY MOUTH THE LORD JESUS, AND SHALT BELIEVE IN THINE HEART THAT GOD HATH RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, THOU SHALT BE SAVED. FOR WITH THE HEART MAN BELIEVETH UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS; AND WITH THE MOUTH CONFESSION IS MADE UNTO SALVATION." [Rom.10.9,10]
But, wait a minute! How can this be? Haven't we been taught, or led to believe from early on, that if there really is a Heaven, a merciful God will surely accede to our "good deeds" and let us in. It only requires our being "sufficiently good." But, what is "good", and just how good do I have to be to get into Heaven? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus elaborated on this very subject saying that the "pure in heart"[Mat.5.8] would see God, and "...except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven."[Mat.5.20]. How many people in the crowd that day - people like you and me - knowing they were not "pure in heart," went to their homes, disappointed and crestfallen, wondering how their righteousness could ever "surpass" that of their religious leaders?
There existed a dilemna. Heaven, according to the Master, was certainly available, but their righteousness was obviously not good enough to get them past the gatekeeper. Is this still the case? If it is, you and I are in deep trouble because we're not righteous either [certainly not pure], and never will be as long as we continue to depend on some kind of personal value system that makes us "right" with God. There must be another way and hopefully, for our sake, a simpler way.
In the Book of Genesis, God, speaking of Abraham [and of the world], defined "righteousness": "Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him for righteousness."[Gen.l5.6] Abraham was favored by God, not because he was a good man [Abraham had his share of faults], but because he believed God. Later, in John's gospel, Christ assured his disciples: "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you."[Jn.l5.3] The Greek word for "clean", as used here, is "katharos" or "pure" as in "purified by fire" and similarly, "like a vine cleansed by pruning and so fitted to bear fruit." [Blue Letter Bible] Christ, with a divine forebearance, blessed those who believed in him with the gift of Purity and of Righteousness. Reading in Rom.10.10, Paul states "with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness." It is not a personal achievement of any man, thank God, for clearly the Bible teaches that a claim to Righteousness is granted to sinners once, forever, unconditionally, and only through the intercession of Jesus.
In the eyes of God and according to His word, we who are filthy with sin, are immediately declared to be righteous when, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we confess that Jesus is the Son of God and is resurrected.
You see, if we deny His resurrection, we also deny His infallibility; His Divinity; His Sonship. Furthermore, the effect is the same as if we called God a liar and buried his word in the garbage dump, and worse than that: "if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins." [1Cor.15.17] On the other hand, if we choose to believe that Jesus is alive, salvation is "..nigh thee, even in thy mouth.."[Rom.l0.8], and our confession or admission that Christ is Lord seals us until the day of redemption.
There is a choice that has to be made - our choice - life or death. Salvation is the perfect gift, but as you can see- in a sense- it is our faith, or actually, the bending of "our will" that opens the door. I have no faith of my own. Faith is a gift from God, but I am naturally endowed with a will. And because I am naturally endowed with a will, I naturally divert the will of God. I avoid the truth for the simple reason that God's truth hurts - it burns like fire. And yet, God is seeking me. He stands at the door and knocks. If it were up to me the door would remain closed and I would continue in my way, proud and stubbornly unrepentant. Nevertheless, the Grace of God is relentlessly contending for my soul. How do I know this? Because there is something about the idea of being able to live forever that has got my attention - the divine enticement. The men of Athens, after hearing Paul's sermon and the astounding news of a resurrection replied, "We will hear thee again of this matter."[Acts17.32] I, too, will hear of this matter.
The bottom line is: Jesus Christ offers eternal life to those who will believe in Him.
home
page two - "increase our faith"
page three - The Evidence of Faith
page four - Eternal Security
page five - A New Law
page six - His Presence
page seven - Brightness
page eight - Caleb
page nine - Palliation of Sin
page ten - The Light of Hope
page eleven - Rapture