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Philippians 1:20-23; “as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose, I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” (ESV – all emphasis mine)
Colossians 3:11; 16-17; “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all…. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
If a person could inherit all the riches this world contains yet not have Jesus as their Savior, they are lost forever. On the other hand, to be the poorest person in reference to worldly possessions yet to have Jesus in their life, on their heart, and have called out to Him to be their Savior, they have wealth that this earth could not equal.
It’s not whether or not a person has sinned, as Romans 3:10 tells us that no one is righteous. Going to Romans 3:23, we read, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The consequences are very plain in Romans 6:23, but with a qualifier. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
There is a simple but complete formula to eternal life, yet so many will not accept it as true. It’s just too simple for some to follow.
First, we must admit that we know we are sinners, and without an Ally, we cannot reach Salvation. Jesus is that special Ally, and all who truly call out to Him to forgive their sins will receive a loving pardon. We must believe that He is truly the Son of God, and therefore is God Himself (John 10:30). When one calls out to Jesus to forgive them and be their Savior forever, they will be saved (Romans 10:13).
A, B, C, nothing difficult at all, yet so many believe there must be more pomp and circumstance than this. The Father purposefully made it this way so that no one could boast that they were able to “earn” or “buy” their eternal Home in Heaven. Ephesians 2:8-9 covers this very well.
Besides, if we were able to earn or buy our way into Heaven, Jesus would not have had to suffer and die a horrible death to be our pure, sinless blood sacrifice. It would simply be the rich who would get in, and the poor would be cast aside.
John 3:16-18, John 14:6, Acts 4:12, 1 John 5:10-12 and numerous other Bible verses tell us that as long as we have Jesus, we have the Father. No Jesus; No Father, and that would lead to Revelation 20:11-15, the White Throne Judgment.
It should be noted that when a person takes their last breath on this earth, their eternity is set. The best example of this is the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. When the rich man died, he was immediately in torment. Lazarus had been a poor beggar but lived a righteous life. When he died, he immediately was in Paradise, or “Abraham’s Bosom” as it was referred to. Paul’s message in the Philippians 1:20-23 verses is that he knew he would be with Jesus when he died and was not afraid to cross death’s threshold.
Will L. Thompson wrote a hymn in 1904 called “Jesus is All the World to Me.” It’s an encouraging song of glory and praise to our Savior, and to those of us who are saved, it is a joy to hear and sing.
1.) Jesus is all the world to me, my life, my joy, my all. He is my strength from day to day; without Him I would fall. When I am sad, to Him I go; no other one can cheer me so. When I am sad, He makes me glad; He’s my Friend.
2.) Jesus is all the world to me, my Friend in trials sore. I go to Him for blessings, and He gives them o’er and o’er. He sends the sunshine and the rain; He sends the harvest’s golden grain. Sunshine and rain, harvest and grain; He’s my Friend.
3.) Jesus is all the world to me, and true to Him I will be. O how could I this Friend deny, when He’s so true to me? Following Him, I know I’m right; He watches o’er me day and night. Following Him by day and night; He’s my Friend.
4.) Jesus is all the world to me; I want no better friend. I trust Him now; I’ll trust Him when life’s fleeting days shall end. Beautiful life with such a friend, beautiful life that has no end. Eternal life, eternal joy; He’s my Friend.
The final stanza sums up what all of us are looking forward to. For those who do not have the Savior, as 1 Corinthians 1:18 states, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the Power of God.”
Our Savior knew that His gift on the cross would be turned down by more than would accept it. He stated there would be a turning away toward the end of this age (Matthew 24; Luke 21), and more would be on the road to destruction than on the pathway leading to life. However, as John 10:18 states, He laid His life down willingly for any and all who receive and accept Him.
For anyone who doesn’t believe that we are in the “birthing pains” that Jesus spoke of in Luke 21, could anyone even a decade ago believe there would be open worship of Satan in today’s society? Yes, it’s always been here ever since the Garden of Eden, but not out in the open as it is today.
There are churches of Satan around the country, and no one bats an eye. On the other hand, Christians are being labeled as “haters” for not accepting all the abominations the Bible spoke of. Who would ever have thought that on a nationwide, and actually worldwide, production of the Grammy Awards, there would be a whole segment of praise and worship for Satan?
If this does not scream that our days here are short, I don’t know what else it will take. Wars, earthquakes, changing weather, pestilence, and every other sign listed by the prophecy Bible leaders are here now.
We have no idea exactly when the Trumpet of God will sound, and the shout from the archangel calls out for us to rise up to meet our Jesus in the air. It could be any day now or maybe a while longer. However, Jesus said the generation that saw the “budding of the fig tree” would not pass before He comes for us. That was the rebirth of Israel on May 14, 1948, after not being a sovereign nation for almost 2,000 years.
The choice is up to each individual to make, as the Father will force no one to accept His Son. However, all who truly receive and accept Jesus will have eternity with Him. All who do not will have eternity in hell, as stated earlier. There is no third option.
It would definitely not be too early to call out to the Savior, ask His forgiveness, and to be your Savior forever. Please remember that when your last breath is taken here, your eternity cannot be changed. There will be no pardons or after-death forgiveness.
And what if Jesus delays coming for another year? Would you have lost anything by calling out to Him now? He died for everyone, and His blood can cover all your sins. He will take your call all day, every day, 24 hours a day. The call is free; the benefits are invaluable.
Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus.
The post Jesus, My All In All :: By Dennis Huebshman appeared first on Rapture Ready.
