Are you ready for eternity?

The aged old question is, "If you died tonight do you know where you would spend eternity?"

In our Daniel and Revelation Bible Study at church last night we briefly hit on this question which sent my mind in 100 different directions. My gut response was to begin thinking over the day and what I had done and said and how I had treated my children and spouse. In my human eyes we had done okay yesterday. I hadn't raised my voice, although I did have to get a little stern and serious with my 4 yo who was testing me all through dinner and afterwards. I felt bad that it came down to "mean mommy" versus her getting to go play with friends, but other than that I didn't have any glaring 'sins' that popped immediately into my mind. Of course it has taken me longer to write this down then it did for that initial 2-5 second thought because my next immediate thought was "It is not about my works (lest any [wo]man should boast!"

So if this was the end and I were to die or the Messiah was to return, am I ready? How do I know and have that security? Growing up in the church all my life I should easily have these answers settled in my mind, right?

One important answer I came to in my thinking was to keep a short list of wrongs. Seek forgiveness daily for the wrongs and sins we commit. When you come to the end of your day ask yourself and do an honest assessment who do I need to ask to forgive me and who do I need to forgive. In the Jewish faith they go through a prayer called the Al Chet once a year at Yom Kippur. If you don't think you have anything to confess just go through the list of the Al Chet prayers and you will quickly see many things (or atleast I did) that I struggle with and could confess on a regular basis.

As you go through this process of forgiving / forgiveness on a daily basis you will clean up the sins and bitterness that could easily build up in your heart and life. I think too as we do this we are more in tune to recognize the answer to these two questions as we live our lives through the day so we can do it on the spot instead of on our bed at night. Forgiveness and repentance therefore becomes a part of our character so we are more ready to meet our Maker and to rest in peace at the end of our lives.

SALVATION is by grace and not by works (Eph. 2:8,9). In other words, we are saved by grace alone through faith in Christ (Acts 4:12; 10:43; etc.). Repentance is necessary for forgiveness and salvation (Lk. 13:3; Acts 3:19; 20:21). Repentance is not just a change of mind, for Jesus equated it to turning from one's evil ways (Matt. 12:41 cf. Jonah 3:10). At the point of instant salvation (Lk. 19:9) one is declared righteous (Rom. 4), given the gift of eternal life (Rom. 6:23) and is made a child of God (1 Jn. 3:2).'Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires' (The proverbial proof in the pudding) (Gal. 5:24).

KEY VERSE FOR LIVING: 'The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers' (Gal. 6:8-10).

The true plan of salvation is in repentance (turning) towards God and faith in Christ Jesus (Acts 20:21). This for me is a daily thing. We need to daily turn to the Father (i.e., repent) and grow in and demonstrate our faith through our daily thoughts which turn into words which turn into deeds or actions. Is this something we do, no, I think this is what He does in or through us if we are willing.

I wanted ice cream last night. My husband had bought my favorite ice cream last weekend and I've been enjoying a little bit each night whether I needed it or not (Mint Chocoloate Chip for the inquiring minds out there).

I have been working through a Bible Study called "Setting Captives Free ~ Eating at the LORD's Table" to deal with and overcome the issue in my life of overeating which the Bible clearly calls the sin of gluttony. Also, I find myself in times of stress turning to food to relieve the stresses I feel and this is also sin because I turn toward food as my "refuge" instead of God.

If I am willing I can submit to God in this area or I can continually and habitually give into my own desires which will eventually lead to a physical and perhaps "untimely" death by continual abuse of my body and will wreck my testimony to others and it shows to God (and perhaps others) that I love myself or ice cream more than I love my God.

As a true believer should this be characteristic in my life? No. It should make me question who my true God is. Have I given my life to Christ? Yes, there was a very clear moment in my life when I sought Him not only as my Savior (which I did as a small child), but also as my LORD (when I was 21). Several years have passed since those decisions and so I ask myself have I fallen away from my faith? To some this might seem like heresy to ask such a question and they would never ask themselves that question either, but Jesus addressed it in Luke 8:13.

"They on the rock [are they], which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away." These temptations come in all shapes and sizes. Only you know what your temptations look like. We must through our willingness to follow Christ overcome in these areas and not fall away from our faith.

Also in John 6:66, "From that [time] many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." But you say, "I love the LORD, I go to church each week, I teach the children, I ... I ... I ..." But are you walking WITH Him. In line and in step with what He desires. This is a matter of eternity so it is a serious thing. If you love Him you will keep His commands. (John 15:10)

Eternal life comes to the repentant the moment such believe on Jesus for salvation (Jn. 3:16; 6:47; 1 Jn. 5:12,13), but there is another important aspect that eternal life is also a hope (Titus 3:7), yet to be reaped (Gal. 6:8,9) in the age to come (Mk. 10:30) for only the ones who persists in doing good (Rom. 2:7) and do not grow weary and give up (Gal. 6:9).

We must not give up!! Never give up!!

"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" Hebrews 10:26-29

These are serious matters, not to be taken lightly. I have been guilty of treating the blood of Yeshua lightly by thinking lightly of my own sins (forgive me Father). This is a hard scripture to read, but we must know the WHOLE word of God. Jesus is the WORD and if we want to know Yeshua (Jesus) we must know the WORD!

I started out writing these thoughts to answer the question " ... are you, am I, ready for eternity?" I'm not sure if I've answered the question as a whole or opened up more questions for those who might read this.

The point I think is that there is an initial point of decision in our salvation, but there are also crucial moments in our daily walk that say to God and those around us what we truly believe inside. I think if you were to ask any one person where or with whom they wanted to spend eternity no one would deny wanting to spend it in Paradise, in Heaven versus being eternally separated from our One True Love, the One that loves us like no other can, but is that how we are truly living our lives?? Questions only you and God can answer and if it is not a resounding yes and you are still breathing and reading this, then it is not too late!

I don't ask these questions because my eternity is based on what I do, but because what I do demonstrates who I follow in this life into the next life. [It is] a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:31

If our lives are not demonstrating the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) and if we are just checking things off of our "To Do" lists and not pressing into the Father on a daily basis trying to overcome, seeking Him to help us overcome, then I think I would for sure question my eternity.

Better to question it then to live oblivious thinking we are okay. The enemy I think would like nothing better for you to think you are doing all right because then we stop growing, stop repenting, stop seeking forgiveness or forgiving others and we look at our day and say "we did okay" when in reality that might not be the case in God's eyes then we are in danger of despising the gift of God and our salvation. Don't take this lightly, Christ never did ... He gave His all for you ... are you giving it your all for Him?

If you were to die today or He would return, are you ready?