I had always felt very confident in my understanding of what we take with us to eternity once we die. To me, it was as simple as the popular statement, “we leave this world just as naked as when we came in”. I recently learned how wrong I have been in oversimplifying this concept.
1 Timothy 6:6-8 WEB — But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment, with these, let us be content.
We can not take anything material with us into eternity such as cars, phones, rings, money, houses, and possessions of any sort. These, what some would call treasures, that we accumulate here on earth can not go with us into eternity. They all stay behind. I just learned of something else we leave behind, something I never thought had any real significance until the Lord spoke to my spirit.
I heard in my spirit, Jesus saying to me, “when My Father sent me to set the captives free, the moment it was done, it was done for all eternity.”
Ecclesiastes 3:14 WEB — I know that, whatever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be added to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
All God’s people, those who are believing His Son, Jesus Christ being born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, all the while headed to Calvary, where He was crucified and then He died so they buried Him. And when they buried Him, all of our sin was buried with Him.
O bride of Christ, are you listening? I haven’t yet gotten to the best part, and I know you don’t want to miss it!
Early in the morning, on day three, while the enemy and his demons, believing they had won, were having their victory feast, God’s Spirit raised Jesus up from the grave! 1 Corinthians 15:55 WEB — O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? When He rose, He left death a conquered foe. Praise His Holy Name.
Wait, there is more that the Lord Jesus left behind Hell’s closed door. Jesus rose up from the dead yet, leaving dead our sin. All the transgressions, past, present, and future of the entire human race from the beginning of time to the end, didn’t defeat Him!
Dear believer, would you believe this isn’t the story’s end? It’s what I heard Him say next that really amazed me.
He said, “ I created time for your use and education while living there in the world. Time is limitless in heaven. I am not bound by time.
Tell me, did you just hear it?
Well, as slow as I can sometimes be, I missed it at first, so He again explained it. He said, “I am not bound by time as you are currently. I live in the past, here in the present and in the future, all at once. He continued, “I already joined you at the finish line! You turned out just like I imagined. The you I see for all eternity already crossed the finish line once you accepted Me as your Lord and personal Savior.”
Isaiah 46:9-10 WEB — Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
Time only exists here. Because time seems to dominate our existence here, it’s hard to imagine eternity. The concept seems so unreachable, so unreal, a blink in eternity, and my life came and went! Wow!!
I read His word with a mindset of a believer under condemnation instead of a mindset of a grafted in child of Almighty God and my faith in who He is and what He has done was never shaken, my faith in myself, my worthiness, my true hearts motivation was shaken beyond what I felt I could possibly withstand.
That’s when He spoke these things to my spirit. He didn’t die for my salvation from only my past transgressions and then put me on probation until I could prove myself a worthy recipient of His grace. NO! He died once saying, “it is finished” with His last breath, for the redemption of all mankind. That part is done, and trying to gain worthiness is futile, sure to leave one in a state of despair, anxious and burdened.
The enemy tries to keep believers in this hopeless, despairing mindset, stealing our peace, joy, and thwarting our efforts at a tangible, fulfilling relationship with our Savior here and now. We know we can not hide from God, but we have a tendency to distance ourselves from Him when we know we are messing up. This was my error. Somehow, my mind shifted to works trying to be worthy instead of staying focused on His love and understanding that what He did on the cross was enough for all time.
With sin no longer the focal point, now our focus can shift from concentrating on our sin, unworthiness, shame, disobedience, and our lack of self-control to instead concentrate on His love, His example, His peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, mercy and His grace. We can now choose to hear His voice no matter where we are in our Christian walk. Sin is no longer a barrier. He knew every sin we would commit during our lifetime, and he chose us still even when we were our darkest.
Jesus words to my spirit reminded me of who I am. Who He says I am, not who I know myself to be right now, not what others say I am, NO, He made me, loved me, saved me, and gave me my purpose. He wrote my book, my story! He is the only voice who can define me.
When we stop concentrating on trying to be good enough and instead concentrate on the love of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, being good, starts to develop on its own. Desires change, hearts change, needs change, habits change, all because we seek to know Him, regardless of who we know we are at the time.
Jesus, not being bound by time, says I cross that finish line. He said for me to rest in the knowledge that He paid my ransom, it’s finished, and now there is no condemnation for those in Christ.
Please don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that we now have a license to continue to live in sin. That is not the truth. Truth is in our motivation and our heart. Do we have a contrite heart? Are we remorseful for the sins we commit. Do we want to be Christ like? If so, we can not lose!
Jesus broke down the barrier between us and Himself, so now we can get to know Him as He knows us. He desires a relationship .
That, to me, is GOOD NEWS!
I wish you all a very peaceful and happy Easter!
Until next time, may God bless you and keep you, as you seek Him, with your whole heart.
Share this:
