Who has eternal life according to Jesus Christ? God so loved the world that He sent His Son to die for us, and indeed Jesus Christ died for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2), but does that mean the whole world is going to have eternal life?
Matthew 19:29
29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. NKJV
How would that verse on eternal life go over in your church? Would that change the people’s view of who Jesus is? Are there people today who actually forsake their family for Jesus?
John 12:25
25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. NKJV
Who will have eternal life according to Jesus in that verse? Do you hate your life, or maybe I should ask if you have plans of hating your life in the future so that you will have eternal life? Perhaps I should ask you if you think Jesus lied in that verse?
If you knew all of the verses on eternal life, they would certainly paint a different picture in your mind as to who will have it? In fact, I think most church attending people today would be totally shocked.
Are you beginning to see why some would rather tell people things like “go have a personal relationship with Jesus” rather than speaking the truth? Jesus spoke on eternal life, but we don’t want to quote Him because it doesn’t fit the family friendly atmosphere that we have come to enjoy.
The only problem with rejecting what Jesus taught for a kinder friendlier man-made message is that we could lose what little Word we do have, and that is one of the main reasons why the doctrine of Jesus has been taken from so many who teach to please people today (Mark 4:24-25).
That’s obvious because you never hear verses like Matthew 10:34-39 below, and it has been so rejected by the church today that you will more than likely hear the exact opposite spoken as if it were a written doctrine.
Matthew 10:34-39
34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. NKJV
What if something like that were happening in your house, what would you do? If you went to Christian counseling, would you be advised to keep following Jesus? No you wouldn’t, and the pressure in your house would make you “find your life,” which in turn would surely make you lose it. That’s what it is designed to do.
I would say that this is one of main reasons for long term illnesses such as alzheimers, or diseases that take away a person’s life style. I haven’t had the opportunity to work with many Christians in these conditions, but I can tell you that it is extremely hard, if not impossible, to work with church people who do not use the Word of God for a reference when they are sick.
Are the verses that I have mentioned beginning to paint a different picture of who you thought Jesus is? Here is another verse spoken by Jesus according to John 5:28-30 that shows a clear distinction between life and condemnation.
John 5:28-30
28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth — those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. 30 I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. NKJV
Does Jesus expect us to do good? Were we not created in Christ to do good works according to the Word of the Lord written in Ephesians 2:8-10, and John 15:16? Did you not hear those verses when you got saved? What happened?
Did John the Baptist not teach us that whoever did not bear good fruit would burn according to Luke 3:7-9? Jesus taught the same thing (John 15:1-6), and so did the Apostle Paul (Romans 2:6-11, Acts 26:20, Galatians 6:7-10). Did you not hear those verses when you got baptized? Why not?
Some say that bearing fruit is only leading others to Christ, to which I will quote Titus 3:14, Hebrews 13:15-16, and Romans 6:20-22 to name a few.
Titus 3:14
14 And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful. NKJV
Hebrews 13:15-16
15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. NKJV
Romans 6:20-22
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. NKJV
Fruit is much more than leading people to Christ, and as a reminder, those who do not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire according to Jesus Christ. If I were you, I would get my Bible out and learn what good fruit and bad fruit is for myself since those who speak against the faith may not have those verses living in them any more (1 Timothy 6:20-21).
The following passage speaks about a group of people who will be put into everlasting punishment rather than having eternal life. Who are they and what happened?
Matthew 25:41-46
41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” NKJV
What would you do if you believed Jesus in those verses? The people who are going to inherit eternal life help the least of Jesus’ brothers and sisters. Who are Jesus’ brothers and sisters according to Mark 3:31-35? If you are in Christ, then you also have a new family, which may, or may not include your earthly family.
You can help the least of Jesus’ brothers and sisters on your own or you can pool your support together with others at places like your local soup kitchen or your local Christian based homeless shelter.
Even people who are under the Laws of Moses should be doing the same with their tithe. In the parable of the “Good Samaritan,” Jesus was questioned about eternal life, and notice that he asked the lawyer “What is written in the law?”
Luke 10:25-37
25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” 27 So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.'” 28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” 29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”
37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” NKJV
People who followed the law love their neighbor as they love themselves which sums up the law (Matthew 7:12). The tithe was never used to build buildings, but only to feed people, and not just the priests. However, the only part of the law that you will hear in church is the part that demands you to give ten percent.
If all we knew was what our Bible says without any outside influence, we would follow Jesus Christ in accordance with what is written. At that point, almost everything we have come to do as Christians (Christ followers) would be different than what we have been taught. Think about that.
A Pastor told me that we get into Heaven on Jesus’ record and not our record, but he couldn’t show me where the Word of God supports that statement, nor was what he said in line with Revelation 22:14 in his Bible. Like me he used the King James, and even bragged about using “The Holy Bible,” but he didn’t speak according to what was written in it. He assumed that I used something different because I didn’t agree with him, but he was unwilling to simply turn and see.
Here was a man, who has spent his life leading hundreds of people, making a man-made statement that was not true, but he believed it with all his heart. Does that make it true? Like so many today, the only evidence that he had that proved that he was right and I was wrong was the few hundred people who followed him.
That in itself made him beyond correcting. The Word of God is not instructing him because he doesn’t allow it to, but the people who are paying him has more influence on what he teaches. That is what is predicted will happen in the last days according to 2 Timothy 4:3-4, and that is exactly what is happening everywhere in this country.
Quick! What did Jesus call those who teach the commands of men as if they were teaching a doctrine written in the Bible? He called them hypocrites according to the Word of the Lord written in Matthew 15:9. Don’t be a hypocrite!
So, what should we do with all of the popular sayings that we have learned to quote today, but are not written in our Bibles? We should trash them if we do not want to be hypocrites in the eyes of Jesus our savior, and we should start speaking His Word like it is written (Romans 10:6-8, 1 Corinthians 4:13).
When people speak against Kingdom teaching, it is obvious that it has been taken from them (1 Timothy 6:20-21, Matthew 13:18-23). In their ignorance, their understanding becomes darkened, and it can even go on to the point of being past feeling, or losing all sensitivity (Ephesians 4:17-19). Once that happens, they are not coming back.
Luke 14:34-35
34 “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” NKJV
I have no doubt that this man is leading hundreds of people to condemnation rather than eternal life, but what more can I do? You might be saying that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, but the second half of that verse was taken out for those of you who have newer Bibles. Read the whole passage.
Romans 8:1-4
8 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. NKJV
Verse 2 says something like, “the law of the Spirit of life has set me free from the law of sin and death.” Ask yourself if that has happened in your life, or do you still live in uncontrollable sin?
Verse 3 tells us what God did by sending Jesus. He condemned sin in the flesh. If sin has been condemned for those who are in Christ, why do so many take their stand against Christians being able to stop sinning? We not only have redemption, but we have been delivered from the power (dominion) of darkness (Colossians 1:12-14). So how can a Christian have an addiction and live by the truth at the same time? He can’t.
Verse 4 still has the statement that was taken out of verse 1 in newer Bibles; those who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. This verse makes a distinction between people who are “in Christ,” and splits the group in two.
There are two groups of people who are “in Christ;” those who walk according to the flesh, and those who walk according to the Spirit (Romans 8:4-8). Those who walk according to the flesh are not going to make it (Romans 8:12-13).
Romans 8:12-14
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors — not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. NKJV
I’m Alan Ballou; a servant. I’m just trying to reach people who might dare to believe what is written in their Bibles. Got questions, ask! I serve believers for free. For everybody else I charge $45 an hour, with a two-hour min up front.
