June 10th 2018
If You Die Today, Where Will Your Immortal Soul Spend Eternity?
John 15:15 (NIV)
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Are you really a friend of Jesus? Has Jesus made known to you all that His Father taught Him? Jesus left the Holy Spirit behind when He ascended from this earth and went back to be with His Father in heaven. God the Father had also given us His Word, which we can read in the Bible. Have you availed yourself of these two blessing that God supplied for you? We are told by pollsters that only 20% of Christians have ever read the Bible cover-to-cover. Are you part of that 20%? You can only be a servant not a friend of Jesus, if you do not know the Master’s business, “because a servant does not know his master’s business.”
The following verses surround the selected verse, and note what Jesus first said about why the people He is addressing did, or tried to do, in order for Him to consider them as friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other. (John 15:14 and 16-17) Jesus said, “You are my friends if you do what I command.” We know from reading the Bible that the people Jesus is calling friends did not always do what He commanded.
Jesus is setting the bar pretty high when He indicates that if you love Him you will do what He commands. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. (John 15:10) It makes me wonder exactly what Jesus really expects His followers to be able to do. It seems that Jesus is putting us on a level that He maintained while He walked this earth. Jesus did walk this earth as a member of mankind, just as we do! True He knew He was going to be raised from the dead, and then, proceed into heaven! But wait, we know that too! Do you really believe what Jesus promised by His death on the cross in your stead?
James the earthly brother of Jesus seemed to believe that Jesus death on the cross paid the penalty for his sins, and thus, he believed this new law to be perfect, just as Jesus was. The man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:25) Note here what James states about this law, it is not restrictive, but instead it “gives freedom.” Next James says that this law which gives us freedom, if followed, will also bring with it blessings, as he writes about the person abiding by this law and that “He will be blessed in what he does!”
Paul wrote to the Ephesian church about this belief of becoming citizens with other believers by becoming members of this church. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. (Ephesians 2:20) Of course, this membership made you more than just the member of a local church. The most important part of this joining with others was that you became a part of the body of Christ.
Next Paul made sure this church knew that any church on this earth will include imperfect members of mankind. We must make allowances for this fact by as Paul put it. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. (Ephesians 4:2, NLT) Remember too, other people will be required to abide by this for you! If you chose to not attend a church of your choice regularly, development of this loving attitude is not possible. You must come to know people before you can develop a loving attitude for them, and they with you.
In this time of plenty it is difficult to really be dependent on God for our everyday needs. Most, if not all, of the people reading this today, are not concerned about being able to eat something today. In reading the Bible again this year cover-to-cover, I’m currently reading Proverbs. I found this one particularly interesting. Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:8-9) The writer is indicating a total daily dependence on God to supply their needs. Note what the writer says about their desire for today, “give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.”
The writer says that having poverty may lead them into the sin of stealing. Then they write that having riches,” I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?” We see this attitude in the USA today. One of the ads on TV uses this kind of an attitude where they offer to cut the cost of their service, and the “stupid rich person” asks you want to reduce my rate, why? Then they state we’re rich, we already have everything we want, “Why would I care about getting your services cheaper?” Do you already have everything you want? If you do, you may not have everything you “Need!” If you die today, where will your immortal soul spend eternity? Do you absolutely know the answer to that question?
You can know the answer to that ominous question, if you have accepted your salvation through the death of Jesus Christ on that cross over 2,000 years ago. And this is the only way you can know the answer, as there is no other name under heaven by which your soul can be saved from eternal damnation. Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
Do you know the way to heaven? Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:5-7)
Now you too know the way to heaven.
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
John 15:15 (NIV)
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Are you really a friend of Jesus? Has Jesus made known to you all that His Father taught Him? Jesus left the Holy Spirit behind when He ascended from this earth and went back to be with His Father in heaven. God the Father had also given us His Word, which we can read in the Bible. Have you availed yourself of these two blessing that God supplied for you? We are told by pollsters that only 20% of Christians have ever read the Bible cover-to-cover. Are you part of that 20%? You can only be a servant not a friend of Jesus, if you do not know the Master’s business, “because a servant does not know his master’s business.”
The following verses surround the selected verse, and note what Jesus first said about why the people He is addressing did, or tried to do, in order for Him to consider them as friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other. (John 15:14 and 16-17) Jesus said, “You are my friends if you do what I command.” We know from reading the Bible that the people Jesus is calling friends did not always do what He commanded.
Jesus is setting the bar pretty high when He indicates that if you love Him you will do what He commands. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. (John 15:10) It makes me wonder exactly what Jesus really expects His followers to be able to do. It seems that Jesus is putting us on a level that He maintained while He walked this earth. Jesus did walk this earth as a member of mankind, just as we do! True He knew He was going to be raised from the dead, and then, proceed into heaven! But wait, we know that too! Do you really believe what Jesus promised by His death on the cross in your stead?
James the earthly brother of Jesus seemed to believe that Jesus death on the cross paid the penalty for his sins, and thus, he believed this new law to be perfect, just as Jesus was. The man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:25) Note here what James states about this law, it is not restrictive, but instead it “gives freedom.” Next James says that this law which gives us freedom, if followed, will also bring with it blessings, as he writes about the person abiding by this law and that “He will be blessed in what he does!”
Paul wrote to the Ephesian church about this belief of becoming citizens with other believers by becoming members of this church. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. (Ephesians 2:20) Of course, this membership made you more than just the member of a local church. The most important part of this joining with others was that you became a part of the body of Christ.
Next Paul made sure this church knew that any church on this earth will include imperfect members of mankind. We must make allowances for this fact by as Paul put it. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. (Ephesians 4:2, NLT) Remember too, other people will be required to abide by this for you! If you chose to not attend a church of your choice regularly, development of this loving attitude is not possible. You must come to know people before you can develop a loving attitude for them, and they with you.
In this time of plenty it is difficult to really be dependent on God for our everyday needs. Most, if not all, of the people reading this today, are not concerned about being able to eat something today. In reading the Bible again this year cover-to-cover, I’m currently reading Proverbs. I found this one particularly interesting. Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:8-9) The writer is indicating a total daily dependence on God to supply their needs. Note what the writer says about their desire for today, “give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.”
The writer says that having poverty may lead them into the sin of stealing. Then they write that having riches,” I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?” We see this attitude in the USA today. One of the ads on TV uses this kind of an attitude where they offer to cut the cost of their service, and the “stupid rich person” asks you want to reduce my rate, why? Then they state we’re rich, we already have everything we want, “Why would I care about getting your services cheaper?” Do you already have everything you want? If you do, you may not have everything you “Need!” If you die today, where will your immortal soul spend eternity? Do you absolutely know the answer to that question?
You can know the answer to that ominous question, if you have accepted your salvation through the death of Jesus Christ on that cross over 2,000 years ago. And this is the only way you can know the answer, as there is no other name under heaven by which your soul can be saved from eternal damnation. Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
Do you know the way to heaven? Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:5-7)
Now you too know the way to heaven.
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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