I'm placing this late tonight since on Friday morning I'm not available.
We have discussed in the previous
message that we should never be content with our stand before the Lord. Only
those who live holy lives will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). This is probably
meant for this life as well as life in heaven. Jesus said that He will show or
reveal himself to those who obey His commands (John 14:21). When He reveals
Himself, isn’t that exactly what seeing the Lord means?
If I have a gift for you in my
pocket and tell you I have something for you, and ask you whether you are able
to see it, you will probably think I am nuts and will ask me how you can see it
unless I show it to you. We can spend the whole evening together and you will
learn nothing more about what I have for you unless I reveal it to you. If I then
tell you I will reveal it to you if you do what I ask you to do, you are
suddenly in a difficult position. Do you really want the gift so badly that you
would obey my instructions in exchange for the gift?
In the same way the Lord wants us to
obey His commands before He reveals Himself to us. For us to be able to be a
position to hear His every command and to do as He tells us, we need to stay
close to Him, very much like a good servant or employer is ready to obey every
wish of their superior. Isn’t that what holiness is – setting aside all those
things that distract us so we could be attentive to the Lord’s commands? If we
live in such close harmony with Him we will get to know Him intimately, just as
Moses got to know Him and we will then ‘see’ Him.
But then eternity also awaits us,
and only those who lived holy lives will see God as Hebrews 12:14 states. Romans
10:9 declares: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Matthew 16:16, Luke
8:50 and Acts 16:31 similarly state that those who believe in Jesus Christ will
be saved. In John 3:3 Jesus told Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot
see the kingdom of God,” and in verse five He confirmed it by saying “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and
the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Can you see that He
mentioned here the Kingdom and not God Himself?
I will
leave the deduction from these passages to you, but they were shown to me when
I once told the Lord I didn’t think it was fair that those who just believe and
live self-centred lives should have the same privileges in heaven than those
who really sacrificed everything for the Lord as for example the apostles did.
The picture of heaven I received at the time depicted Jerusalem and surrounds,
where those who only believed lived in and around the city, those born again in
the palace of the King, but only those set apart for Him through holiness will
be in His courts and presence. I have used this analogy before for those who
have seen it, but I think it is such an important incentive for us to work with
the Lord at changing us into obedient productive instruments in His hands
(Philippians 2:12) as we have discussed in the last few blogs.
I urge
you my brother and sister to heed these words, which the Lord so repeatedly
speaks through me His servant. We hear so many messages on God being a gracious
Lord, but He is only gracious whilst we are on earth to give us opportunity to
change from being saved into being holy, since He so much desires for us to be
with Him in person. In life after death He will be the judge. He is raising up
many messengers like me to urge us to prepare for the end. I myself have been
through tremendous purification and still am being tested.
Will you
not please make a commitment in your heart to prepare for the coming of the
Bridegroom?
Lord,
please help me to heed to your word.
Thank you Lord that your Word went
out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you
empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which
you sent it.
Please pass this on if you think others may
benefit by it.
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