Bible Studies

To be among those attending the 1Cor. 3: 12-15 Evaluation Day event, and not be among those attending the Rev. 20: 13-15 Judgment Day event, one must (John 3: 5, 7 ) be a born-again believer.

It is the born-again believer that has the Rom. 8: 1 assurance of having a home in Heaven. This assurance is not based on what the born-again believer has or has not done, other than to place his or her faith (trust and confidence) in what God has done for him or her on the cross.

The John 3: 7 NEED to have been born-again is reiterated in such passages as Rom. 3:23.

Even the so-called “best among us” would have to concede that the one they see in the mirror falls into the same, “… all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3: 23 NASB2020)” category, as everyone else.

According to James 2:10, as far as salvation is concerned, there are “no best among us!” We are all in the same equal need of salvation.

For many reasons, we may not all commit the same type or quantity of sin, but this makes no difference when it comes to salvation! Divine justice calls for every sin to be addressed.

Not one of us has ever, or will ever, earn or deserve a place in Heaven. Residency in Heaven is a gift that God bestows on all who believe.

You may ask, “Believe in what?”

As of the Church Age, that was established in 33-34 AD, entry and residency in Heaven is (and only is) the result of believing when presented with the unadulterated Gospel Message encapsulated in John 3: 16, 18.

What many, especially those who consider themselves to be among the so-called best among us, cannot bring themselves to acknowledge, is that James 2: 10 places all of us in the same stinking, sinking, boat of sin, and in EQAUAL need of salvation, as ANYONE else.

There is only ONE sin that will keep a departed soul from being in Heaven, and there is only one thing that gets one in (John 3: 5. 7).

That ONE sin is the sin of disbelief in the Person (who He is) and the atoning work that the Lord Jesus Christ performed on the cross. So says John 3: 18.

Once born again, the Rev. 20: 15 spiritual death sentence and incarceration in the lake of fire has been taken off the table.

But this does not mean that all other sin will have no impact on the quality of a born-again believer’s post salvation spiritual life here on Earth, or the type of experience he or she will have for all of eternity future.

Be it in time or in eternity future, everyone will reap either the blessings or the consequences of the daily and accumulated choices, good or bad, that he or she makes (Gal. 6: 7).

The “not being as bad as others defense” falls apart when one considers that it only takes ONE sin that has not been confessed or forsaken to take a born-again, Heaven bound, born-again believer out of fellowship with God.

Thankfully, by confessing all KNOWN sin, we are cleansed from ALL unrighteousness. So says John 1: 9.

The idea that one must repent of all sin in order to be saved is ridiculous, as one is not even aware of what many of his or her sins have been, until he or she advances in post (after) salvation discipleship!

“For whoever keeps the whole Law, yet stumbles in one point, has become (just as ) guilty (in the eyes of God) of (having broken them) all (James 2: 10 NASB2020 parentheses mine).”

Being guilty of post salvation sin does not result in the loss of salvation, but opens the door for divine discipline (Heb. 12:6) here on Earth, and can contribute to forfeiting a part of, or all of, one’s reward in Heaven (1Cor. 3: 15).

Divine discipline can range in anything from having to live with a haunting guilty conscience, fear of embarrassing public exposure, and or up to and including physical death (Acts 5).

Seeing ourselves as God sees us before and after we are born again is a pill that may be hard to swallow, but is good medicine to keep us humble. A Christian is (not was) a sinner that has been saved by the unearned, undeserved, grace of God.

Apart from the righteousness of Christ, there is nothing spiritually good in fallen Man.

“The entire head is sick and the heart is faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head there is nothing healthy in it (Isa. 1: 5, 6 NASB2020).”

At best, apart from God, Fallen Man is only capable of producing human good.

I spent the first 30 years of my adult life, working full time (and then some) producing human good in my law enforcement career. I would like to think that I did my part in “making this world a better place to live” for the people I served in that capacity.

But it was an “eye-opener” to discover that this was only human good, as atheists and non-Christians can hold the same positions and produce the very same type of good. The same can be said of the human good that is produced in any other secular profession or type of labor.

Veterans of military and public service appreciate it when people acknowledge and thank them for their service, but much greater it will be for God to say to us, “Well done MY good and faithful servant (Matt. 25: 21 KJV), for time spent and service rendered in the Army of God!

It is when one learns that his or her divine purpose for being wherever he or she is, or doing whatever he or she is doing 24/7, is to glorify God as His ambassador, that such things take on spiritual significance with eternal value.

It will only be on the basis of the divine good produced by Spirit-filled, born-again believers, that will receive (in Heaven) the type of rewards and privileges spoken of in 1Cor. 3:12-15, and Rev. 2 and Rev. 3. These rewards and privileges are in addition to residency in Heaven that all born-again believers receive, but are reserved for only the born-again believers who identify and execute the post salvation spiritual life of discipleship.

An advancing disciple does not serve God to be rewarded, but God has made it clear that He intends to reward service rendered. Every advancing disciple has the privilege of serving on the front lines of spiritual combat, by evangelizing or edifying the souls around him or her EVERY day by his or her word and or example.

Human good certainly has its place, and has its OWN rewards and compensation during our time HERE on Earth. God will certainly use the human good that is produced by believers and unbelievers alike, in ALL walks of life, to fulfill His plans for individuals and for the human race at large.

The classic example of such compensation is the prosperous lifestyle of many surgeons who are non-Christians or atheists, but who perform life-changing or life-preserving procedures every day.

Others produce human good and services that contribute to society, but the earthly compensation is much less.

Many producers of human good place themselves in harm’s way in order to produce the type of human good that they do, but it never-the-less remains to be, human good.

Divine good glorifies God, primarily by learning and applying the principles of the Word of God to ALL that one thinks, says, and does 24/7, be it at home, work, play, or socialization.

This is what the LIFESTYLE of post salvation Biblical discipleship is all about. It matters not where he or she is, or what he or she is otherwise doing. The born-again believer is there to glorify God by ALL that he or she thinks, says, or does, as he or she shares the same activity as those around him or her.

Discipleship is initially for one’s own edification, but with the long-term objective of participating in the Great Commission (Matt. 28: 19, 20), evangelizing souls and making disciples, as we interact with others 24/7, be it at home, school, work, or play!

An advancing disciple does not want to be found guilty of neglecting this area of his or her post salvation spiritual life. For him or her, it is not a burden. It is an honor to serve on the front lines of spiritual combat, evangelizing and edifying souls.

End of Part Eight