Passed from death unto life
Last post we read how Jesus merely reiterated His Father’s Word. Jesus repeated this many times.
He continuously throughout his ministry let his followers know that he spoke His Father’s Word and didn’t make anything up himself.
What follows is another promise by Jesus. He tells us that anyone that hears and lives according to His teachings and anyone that believes in His Father, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, can lay claim to the promise of eternal life.
Out of this world!
That promise of eternal life is just out of this world! Who can wrap their mind around it?
Going to heaven? Sure, when I grew up in a Catholic family we all believed that we’d go to heaven; that is unless we were naughty and then we would end up in hell.
But this is a different thing altogether. This is God’s Word laying it out in detail: Eternal life, everlasting life, living forever … If you want to, you can sign up for it … yeahh! I like it. We’re actually given a choice and this choice is not just for the religious but open to anyone.
Are you comfortable?
I often enough hear people say that heaven … yeah whatever. And I’ve come to understand that this is what some people believe because they enjoy all the comforts that life has to offer and they have no longing for a better place. Why don’t these people long for a better place? Because life is quite enjoyable for them as it is. This reminds me of the following verses,
“There was a certain rich man who clothed himself in purple and fine linen, and who feasted luxuriously every day. At his gate lay a certain poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. Lazarus longed to eat the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Instead, dogs would come and lick his sores.
“The poor man died and was carried by angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. While being tormented in the place of the dead, he looked up and saw Abraham at a distance with Lazarus at his side. He shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I’m suffering in this flame.’
But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received good things, whereas Lazarus received terrible things. Now Lazarus is being comforted and you are in great pain. Moreover, a great crevasse has been fixed between us and you. Those who wish to cross over from here to you cannot. Neither can anyone cross from there to us.’
“The rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, Father, send Lazarus to my father’s house. I have five brothers. He needs to warn them so that they don’t come to this place of agony.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. They must listen to them.’
The rich man said, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will change their hearts and lives.’
Abraham said, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the Prophets, then neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’” Copyright 2011 Common English Bible(CEB)
Listen to Moses and the Prophets
Once more we’re told by Jesus to listen to Moses and the Prophets if we’re interested in the Good Afterlife. By telling this parable, Jesus even prophesied that people who don’t pay attention to what the prophets had to say, won’t pay attention to someone (such as Himself) who was raised from the dead either.
Don’t worry if you’re comfortable in this life, there is nothing wrong with that in itself. Just make sure that you take care of all the people around you as well.
And then as you take care of those around you, no need to tell the world about it because as Jesus said, the praise you receive for your good deeds will be all the reward you can expect.
“When you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.”
and also
Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
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ABOUT THIS BLOG – We’re researching the truth of living forever according to GOD’s Holy Word; Sola Scripture. Popular opinion tells us that everyone who ‘believes’ and has ‘faith’ will go to heaven. Is this true? I decided to ask the prophets about the truth of it all.
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