Do you remember the Seinfeld episode where Elaine is dating Putty and finds out he’s a “Christian?” She asks him if it’s a problem that’s she’s not a Christian and responds, “No, I’m not the one going to hell.” I know, Seinfeld on a Christian woman’s site that usually writes about Bible Journaling and encourages you to read your Bible? But walk with me here. And, for the record, this was years ago, years I tell you. I don’t remember the last time I’ve sat down and watched a sitcom or any show, other than Downton Abbey last year. But I totally digress trying to defend my old television watching habits.⠀
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Listen, let’s get right to this ok? What’s your eternal plan? Where do you plan on spending your eternity? You have two options, heaven or hell. And once you’ve made your choice here in this earthly life, you have got to start living for the place you’re planning on going. A shallow and flippant example, if I plan on spending some time on the beach in Florida, I’m not going to be downing gallons of ice cream, not shaving my legs, and buying turtleneck sweaters. Such a silly example, but apply the principle to eternity.
For example, if I’m planning on spending my eternity in heaven, I’m not going to road rage everywhere, kick my neighbor’s dog, and howl at the moon right? If I’m planning on spending my eternity in hell, I’m not going to say my prayers, love and serve God, and strive to grow in virtue. Now, these are very broad and almost comical examples to drive home a very serious point.
Here and now determines our eternity.
Now that we’ve made our decision where we plan on spending our eternity, let’s look at our daily life.
If I’m planning on spending my eternity in heaven, I probably want friends who are planning the same. Think of an alcoholic. If an alcoholic was determined to quit drinking, spending time with their drinking buddies would probably not be the best idea in the world. Where’s the support? The encouragement? The accountability?
So, do we have friends who could less where we will spend eternity? Is this friendship a hindrance to our eternal plan? Of course, there are circumstances where God has a specific plan in mind for us to possible lead our friend to Him. But if this isn’t His plan, we are possibly putting ourselves in a dangerous occasion of sin. Rather than encourage heaven, our friends may be indifferent at best or a bad example and temptation at the worst.
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Now, are we one of those friends? Do we care where our friends spend eternity? Honestly, has that specific thought ever even crossed your mind? It’s easy to be distracted form eternity in this busy, noisy life. If we care where our friends spend eternity, what are we doing, how are we encouraging, how we being an example if necessary? These are questions we seriously need to ask ourselves if we love our friends. If we love God and want everyone we love to be with Him in heaven, how does our daily life reflect that?⠀
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See LOVE IS TRUTH. And TRUTH, well it has a name…HE has a name…⠀
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Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and THE TRUTH, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⠀
+JOHN 14:6⠀
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When the Spirit OF TRUTH comes, he will guide you into all THE TRUTH, ⠀
+JOHN 16:13⠀
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Sanctify them in THE TRUTH; your word IS TRUTH.⠀
+JOHN 17:17⠀
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The sum of your word IS TRUTH, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.⠀
+PSALM 119:160⠀
God is love ⠀
Love is TRUTH⠀
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TRUTH is the Word ⠀
The Word is Jesus⠀
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Do not accept anything in love and friendship which lacks Jesus. And for the honest to goodness love of God, do not give anything which lacks Jesus.
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Anything else is a lie and anything else is not LOVE.
DeeDee says
Good thoughts Jenny. Peter is reading a book called, “A Hole in our Holiness” We were saved FOR good works. We will not care about a holy heaven if we do not live holy lives here on earth. The work of sanctification (holiness and becoming more like Jesus and less like ourselves) is what the Holy Spirits work in us, the saints (-Romans 1:7) is all about. “Holiness is the sum of a million little things– the avoidance of little evils and little foibles, the setting aside of little bits of worldliness and little acts of compromise, the putting to death of little inconsistencies and little indiscretions, the attention to little duties and little dealings, the hard work of little self denials and little self restraints, the cultivation of little benevolences and little foebearances. Running hard after holiness is running hard after God!” Praise God it is not so we will be saved for He did it all, but because we are saved we live a life of gratitude. Have a great day!
“God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God” Hallelujah! He paid our debt in full.