Vetted for Heaven
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Vetted for Heaven
Vet —to appraise, verify, or check for accuracy, authenticity, validity, etc.:
"An expert vetted the manuscript before publication." (Dictionary.com)
"An expert vetted the manuscript before publication." (Dictionary.com)
Please note . . . this section is currently being revised.
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The Necessity
Given consideration, the following may seem like a simplistic rendering of the process of entering the Kingdom of God. Still, the basic tenet of vetting applies. After Lucifer, the most prominent angel in the heavens decided he wanted to be God and rebelled against Him —heaven changed. God created angels for various purposes as eternal beings. Included in their nature was free will, the ability to choose obedience or disobedience. Once Lucifer chose his way and convinced about one-third of the angelic population of heaven to follow him, then God decided to end angel creation and He turned to a new method, that of creating human beings. Humans were to be a little lower than the angels and were relegated to a new world called earth separated from Heaven. On Earth, God began with a couple named Adam and Eve who would be the caretakers of a vast garden named Eden, and through them, the human race unfolds. How this new race conducted themselves and based on their choices while on earth would determine if they would be allowed into the heavenly realm for eternity or, by their own volition, suffer the same fate as Lucifer. Call it probation or vetting, what we do, and the decisions we make here in our lifetime will determine where we spend eternity. "As it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment." (Hebrews 9:27 KJV) |
The Opportunity
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV) God does not want anyone to suffer the fate of Lucifer and his followers. The verse shows God's desire to forgive your sins and restore your relationship with Him by being born again. One prayer can impact eternity. Using this link #7 Prayer of Faith, pray the prayer sincerely and follow the guidance on the page to begin your new Born Again relationship with our heavenly Father. Then be welcomed into Kingdom Living Now as an adopted child of God. Next: Defeating Temptation
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We have [recognized] that, when leading a soul to Christ, we must be very thorough, for there is no certainty when [they] will again have the help of other Christians. We always seek to make it clear to a new believer that, when [they have] asked the Lord to forgive [their] sins and to come into [their] life, their heart has become the residence of a living Person. The Holy Spirit of God is now within [you], to open to [you] the scriptures that [you] may find Christ there, to direct [your] prayer, to govern [your] life, and to reproduce in [you] the character of his Lord.
—Nee, The Normal Christian Life, © Angus I. Kinnear 1957; pg.198. |
July 11 —More On the Promise of Eternal Life Study Resource And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life . . . And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. (1Jn. 2:25 and 1Jn. 5:11) The Promise Of All Promises We previously referred to the promise of eternal life as "the promise of all promises" (regarding its impact upon man). Here, we will give it additional attention. We saw that eternal life (everlasting life) has both a quantitative aspect (lasting forever) and a qualitative aspect (growing in fullness). Also, eternal life is a gift of God's grace, which is received in humble faith. There are other distinctions of eternal life that are very edifying to contemplate. Eternal Life... Possessed Now The gift of eternal life is to be possessed now, not just awaiting us in eternity. ●"He who believes* in the Son has everlasting life . . .(Jesus) (Joh. 3:36) ●Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes* in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life . . . (Jesus) (Joh. 5:24) ●Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes* in Me has everlasting life". . . (Jesus) (Joh. 6:47) Kingdom Living Now! Those who have placed their faith in Jesus have begun eternal life here on earth. Furthermore, that reality can be embraced with assurance. "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe* in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe1 in the name of the Son of God" (1Jn. 5:11-13). Eternal life is innate to Jesus Christ. "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes* in Me, though he may die, he shall live. "I am •the way, •the truth, and •the life" (Joh. 11:25; Joh. 14:6). He is the life. All who have trusted in the Lord Jesus have Him dwelling in their lives. Therefore, they are assured of having eternal life. All Related To Jesus In addition to granting us assurance, these verses emphasize the most profound aspect of eternal life. The realities of that life are all related to Jesus. •"I am the resurrection and the life . . . •I am the way, the truth, and the life . . . •God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son" (Joh. 11:25; Joh. 14:6). In order to grow** in that life, one must only pursue a growing relationship** with the one who has the life. "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent . . . but grow** in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (Joh. 17:3 and 2Pe. 3:18). Fellowship Dear Lord, I rejoice that Christ desires to dwell within my life. Therefore, with full assurance I know that eternal life can be my present possession. Now, I desire to grow in the fullness of that life, so I set my heart to know You better. Please reveal Yourself to me more and more through Your holy word and Spirit, Amen. * Believe(s): Greek —pisteuō : to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), that is, credit; by implication to entrust (especially one’s spiritual well being to Christ): - believe (-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with. ** This moves our understanding of the necessity of Christ for eternal life beyond our intellect, i.e. from head knowledge to heart knowledge, ignighting a personal dynamic relationship with Him. Day By Day By Grace— Bob Hoekstra © |