NO CONFUSION… I’M SPENDING ETERNITY IN HEAVEN!

Hi Friends, I am writing this post because I am basically tired – sick and tired – of having to be asked to make some prayers in church that involves me begging to spend eternity in heaven. Prayer points like, “Father, please, do not let me miss heaven… LORD, please, don’t let my name be taken out of the Book of Life… Jesus, don’t forget me in your Kingdom; remember to build my own mansion, etc.” I am honestly sick and tired of those prayer points. However, I will not judge those who make those prayers. They do it out of ignorance and out of fear. Unfortunately, people respond to altar calls out of fear and not love. Isn’t that ironic? Love is what sent Jesus to the cross and perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18); but some ministers make people respond to His grace out of fear. My sister and I visited a church once, and we literally grimaced through the entire sermon. I kept blaming her for making us go there. When the altar call was made, she whispered, “At least people are coming to surrender to Christ.” I immediately countered and said, “Anybody can make people respond to an altar call; only make them afraid;” which unfortunately, is what the pastor did that day. When a person “accepts Christ” out of fear, it is expected that they maintain their “salvation” out of fear too. That’s why I cannot be so harsh in judging those who make these prayers.  Regardless though, I have and will continue to encourage everyone who cares to listen to PLEAAASSSSEEEEE study their Bible. It’s liberating. It’s revealing. It makes things clearer. Bible teachings are great. Bible teachers are gifted with the ability to further expound the truth in God’s word, draw scriptures together and make it even clearer. I love Bible teachers. I have Bible teachers. And I teach the Bible as well. But I believe in personal Bible study more. There’s nothing as good as seeing it for yourself, and getting inspired by the Holy Spirit Himself.

I once told y’all about a church I attended for two years in Texas where eternal security was preached. At that time, I wasn’t a Bible studier; I was only a religious Bible reader. So there were several things I didn’t understand and a lot more I didn’t even know; one of which was eternal security. I struggled so much with that subject that I had to go into scriptures myself. A number of years later, I realized they were right all along; but I would maintain that they didn’t do a good job at teaching it. It was a concept they believed, but I think many of them lacked understanding of (I know because I had conversations about it with several people there). Well, now, having studied my own Bible, I have come to the conclusion that as a Believer in Christ and His finished work of redemption for me, having accepted His love & grace and living therein as the righteousness of God in Him, I CANNOT go to hell; and I do NOT have to pray about it. Since I’m always pro-Bible; below are a few Bible passages that support my conclusion. The Bible says in Matthew 18:16 (and in a few OT verses) that in the mouth of two or three witnesses a word is confirmed; so I have included in parenthesis the sources of those passages, so as to confirm my conclusion.

1. The first is also the one we all know – John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (Jesus). Here, in this very popular verse, I read that the only reason why I will perish is if I do not believe in God’s only begotten Son. But I do. So I cannot perish. Also see John 3:36.
2. John 6:37-39, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out… And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (Jesus). Jesus who came to die for me said Himself that He shall in NO WISE CAST ME OUT. One mistake we make as believers is that we think we care about our eternal salvation more than God does. That’s insane. He became flesh. Made Himself of no reputation. Took sin upon Himself. Get it! GOD – Holy GOD – took sin upon Himself for your sakes. And you think you care about this eternity or fellowship-with-divinity business more than He does. Don’t make that mistake. Think again!
3. John 10:27-28, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.” (Jesus). I am His sheep, a part of His flock; and I am not confused about that. So except Jesus was lying here OR He somehow loses His grip on me OR the Father becomes less greater than all OR the Father loses His grip on me, I am spending eternity with Him. In fact, I’m already living eternal life right now, because verse 10 of this chapter tells me that my Shepherd gives to me abundant life (He didn’t say He will give it. He has given me already). 
4. John 5:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (Jesus). By the way, “verily, verily” means “assuredly, assuredly; truly, truly; certainly, certainly; for sure, for sure” – just in case you didn’t know; and in case you didn’t notice, Jesus is doubly sure. I will not pass from death unto life. I HAVE passed from death unto life. Done deal. No need to pray about that. It’s done. C’est fini.
5. Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”. (Paul). Now, he wasn’t talking about material things like many of us think he was. He was talking about the work of grace in the believers in Philippi. I’m confident of same too.
6. Romans 8:33-34, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Paul). Ok, I do feel a need to explain this passage. It’s simply saying that there may be a need to charge me (God’s elect) with something; that is to accuse me of something I did wrong. But the only one who’s able to do that to me (being God’s elect) is God Himself; and rather than Him doing that (pointing out my wrong), He chooses to justify me. It also says, I may be condemnable, but the only one who can condemn me (being God’s elect) is Christ. But rather than condemn me, He died for me. He rose for me. He’s now at God’s right Hand interceding for me. Can you beat that? I’m definitely spending eternity with Him.
7. Romans 8:38-39, “For I am PERSUADED, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Paul). NOTHING can separate me from God’s love…NOTHING… ever!
8. Ephesians 1:13, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” (Paul). I am sealed with the Holy Spirit. There shall no power of hell, neither scheme of man, be able to break that seal.
9. 2 Timothy 1:12_b, “For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” (Paul). I know whom I have believed. And I am persuaded that He is able to keep me till that day. He does the keeping; I do not. So why should I be worried? I do not have a careless God.
10. Hebrews 7:25, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (The Writer of Hebrews). Oh, I love this verse! God saves to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, in the greatest way possible, of highest degree). He doesn’t save halfway. He doesn’t start and ask you to complete it. He saved me perfectly. Completely. Utterly.
11. 1 Peter 1:3-5, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (Peter). My inheritance is incorruptible, undefiled, doesn’t wear out, cannot be destroyed, reserved for me in Heaven and will not be given to anybody else. He keeps me by His power. So unless He grows weak for any reason or His power fails at any time, I’m spending eternity with Him.
12. 1 John 5:13, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (John). I KNOW I have eternal life. Eternal life cannot go into a place of eternal death. I cannot take the Spirit of the Living Christ inside of me into hell. It is not possible. That can happen only if I do not have His Spirit in me; but I do, so…
13. Jude 1:24, “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.” (Jude). Except God loses His ability to keep me from falling, He will definitely present me faultless in His glory with exceeding joy.

These are just a few verses of Scripture that confirm my conclusion and I have shared them from six witnesses – Jesus, Paul, The Hebrew Writer, Peter, John and Jude. I think I sense someone saying, “What a proud girl… let him that thinketh he stands take heed lest he falls.” Well, anyone may think anything about me. But I know I am standing in Jesus and I’m not bragging on myself; I’m bragging on Him. Someone once said Christianity is for people who need a crutch. I heard this person said so with ill intentions. But I agree. I need a Crutch and my Crutch never fails. I can brag on Him all my life long. It’s not pride to know that your Father has preserved you till His coming. It’s actually humbling. I know I can’t miss out on heaven, not because I am self-capable but because Christ is more than capable. One of my best portions of the Bible is Philippians 2:13. I call it my Anchor verse, because it helps me realize that I’m not all stable by myself, Christ is for me and I can brag on that. Unfortunately, the verse that precedes that has been used to hold lots of believers in bondage. Philippians 2:12b, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” I think one should first of all notice that it did not say work FOR your salvation; and that this is a verse on spiritual growth not on being saved. Even then, verse 13 tells us, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” God does the work in me. All I need do is yield. So what does one have to be proud of? After all, my salvation is completely a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Asides from pride, people have accused those who preach eternal security of supporting sin. Even Paul was accused of that (Galatians 2:16-18). And I have been too. It’s insane. Absolutely insane! Sin is strengthened by the Law (1 Corinthians 15:56); and Grace replaces the Law. I want to do a little logic here (I hope I’m allowed) – if the strength of sin is the Law, it follows that the strength of righteousness is Grace. The Bible does not put it like that, but it indeed is. Sin is completely contrary – completely contrary – to the message of Grace in Christ. There is nothing about Grace that supports sin (read Romans 6). In fact the more you realize that you are completely God’s and that you cannot be snatched by the devil, the easier it is for you actualize your salvation in godly deeds. Because at this point, you focus on righteousness, rather than on sin. You become God-conscious, rather than sin-conscious. You are what you focus on. You cannot keep on focusing on sin and not sin. You cannot keep on looking down and not fall down. So I choose to look up. I choose to keep my focus on Jesus, the Author & Finisher of my faith. Anytime I think I can do it by myself, I screw up really bad. I have indeed observed that the more I keep my focus on Him, the more I am like Him. Isn’t that what 2^nd Corinthians 3:18 says? – That we are changed into His image as we behold His glory. I choose to behold Him. I choose to live free in Him. I choose the life – eternal life – that He has given to me and I choose to ever live in the consciousness of that.

Does this mean believers do not sin? No, it doesn’t mean that. But does my wrongdoing make me less of God’s child? No. Does it mean I automatically disbelieve Christ and lose His Spirit inside of me? That’s a crazy thought! I’ve heard some people say that each time a believer sins, the Holy Spirit leaves him for a while until He repents of His sin. If that isn’t so sad, it would have been very funny. That spirit must be a highly itinerant one to have to be going in and out, in and out of every believer each time we sin. Boy, is that demanding! That’s definitely not the Spirit of God in me. I’ve also heard that each time a believer sins, his name is taken out of the Book of Life and then restored after he repents. To that I usually respond, “Heaven must be a very busy place then. The angels are fully employed in Computer Business Services – erasing & rewriting, erasing & rewriting. No wonder we don’t have angelic experiences as often anymore; angels are busy, mehn; they’ve got a full time job.” (Now, I’m being silly). All those theories are unfounded and unbiblical. Grace does not permit sin. In fact, sin is very harmful to the believer (check out my next blogpost for Dangerous Effects of Sin to a Believer).  Believers should not sin, but we do sometimes, and anytime we sin, we know that “we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins…” (1 John 2:1-2).

I choose to focus on my Advocate. How about you? Will you realign your focus today?