“If anyone pursues
heavenly things and does not get them, it is because he did not follow God's
instruction in the right manner.
Suppose you do die
penniless. What will it matter at all? But suppose you die graceless! Heaven
and heavenly things are the kind that cannot be recompensed by anything else.
Do not let Satan distract you with baubles and toys. While he is entertaining
you with his clever illusions, his other hand is in your treasure, robbing you
of that which is irreplaceable. It is more necessary to be saved, than to be;
better not to be, than to have a being in hell.
No matter how hard
you work for material gain, there is no guarantee of success. Men have been
doing business for thousands of years, yet no one has come up with a fail-proof
plan for getting rich. How few carry away the prize in the world's lottery!
Most have only disillusionment and bitter memories for their trouble.
But now for heaven
and the things of heaven, the plan is quite clearly laid out in the Bible:
"As many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them Galatians 6:16. .
If anyone pursues heavenly things and does not get them, it is because he did
not follow God's instruction in the right manner.
If you want heaven
but you also want your sins, do not expect to succeed. You must part company
with one or the other. If you will not let go of your sins, God will have to
let go of you. If you want heaven but insist on purchasing it with your own
righteousness, you will fall short of the prize. You are like the near kinsman
in Ruth who wanted to buy Elimelech's land but was not willing to marry Ruth as
the law required Ruth 4:2-4. All the good you do, all the duties you perform,
are admirable if they are acts of love that follow your act of repentance. But
if you offer them as a price you are willing to pay for heaven, God will not
deal with you. You must close with Christ and Him alone, or lose the whole
bargain.”
Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete
Armour Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S Bell.
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