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God
created the world
with
ETERNITY
IN MIND
What
does the Bible say?
by:
Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
"For
unto us a child is born, unto
us a Son is given...of the
increase of His government and
peace there shall be no
end....with justice from
henceforth even for
ever." (Isaiah
9:6)
GOD
CREATED THE WORLD WITH
ETERNITY IN MIND
God is eternal and infinite.
He does not think with a
finite mind as we do!
God's thoughts and actions
reflect His omnipotence,
omniscience, omnipresence and
eternalness!
God's
plans and purposes for this
universe and all of us, were
formulated in His mind before
He created the foundations of
the world. Eternity in heaven
or hell had already been
determined.
God
cannot make a mistake, lGod
cannot lie or be wrong in His
intentions of deeds, for God
is totally righteous, all
knowing and all wise!
EVERYTHING
GOD DOES IS FOR ETERNITY!
God
knows the future and sees the
pitfalls and snares that await
our stumbling feet. And
God helps us, protects us from
the devil, protects us from
the world and from ourselves!
WHY
ARE WE SO IMPORTANT TO GOD?
Firstly, we were made in
God's image. Secondly,
Jesus personally died for our
sins and finally, through the
new birth, we are a part of
Him - his body!
WHAT
DOES ETERNITY MEAN?
What
does the word eternity mean?
Eternity means forever and
ever, without end. The
words, "there shall be no
end" and
"forever", show the
eternal purposes of God in the
birth of Christ. THE
INCARNATION WAS SERIOUS STUFF.
Eternity is serious stuff.
The
moment, of God the Son -
wrapping Himself in human
flesh - coming down to earth
to save us. All this was
deliberately and perfectly
timed and executed, and all
with eternity in mind.
"But
when the fullness of time was
come, God sent His Son, made
of a woman, made under the
law, To redeem them that were
under the law, that we might
receive the adoption of
sons."
(Galatians 4:4-5)
Jesus
coming to earth to die for our
sins wasn't an after thought
or a fill-in. The
decision to send King Messiah
to this earth, was
communicated to Satan - the
adversary - immediately after
Adam and Eve's tragic fall.
"And
I will put enmity between thee
and the woman, and between thy
seed and her seed; it shall
bruise thy head and thou shall
bruise His heel."
(Genesis 3:15)
Here,
God promises a "virgin
born" savior (her seed),
Who would conquer Satan
through His substitutionary
death. In the process,
the Savior would suffer a
minor wound (bruise His heel),
and Satan would be totally
defeated (bruise his
head)!
JESUS
DIED ON THE CROSS - With
Eternity in Mind
Although
Jesus suffered more than any
man, was wounded and marred
for our total salvation, it
was minor because He laid down
His life of His own free will.
(John 10:15-18)
SATAN
HAD NO POWER OVER JESUS
Satan
could not take it from Him!
And Jesus arose again on the
third day, destroying Satan
and his power over us!
"Forasmuch
then as the children are
partakers of flesh and blood,
He also Himself likewise took
part of the same; that through
death He might destroy him
that had the power of death,
that is, the devil;"
(Hebrews 2:14)
FROM
THE INCARNATION TO THE
RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST,
AND THROUGHOUT THE 'GOSPEL
AGE', GOD HAS CONTINUED THE
EXECUTION OF HIS ETERNAL WILL,
THROUGH HIS CHURCH, THE
CALLED-OUT-ONES!
WE
MUST LIVE WITH ETERNITY IN
MIND
This
is why it is so important that
we live with "eternity
in mind". All
our plans and goals should
reflect this mind set, in our
relationships to God, the
Church - His body - and the
world! We must think of
the future, of eternity and
prepare ourselves for
eternity, and eternal life
with Jesus Christ.
Let
us study the Word of God,
pray, witness and give
joyfully, to help build His
eternal Kingdom!
Jesus
said, "Except a man be
born again, he cannot see the
Kingdom of God. Marvel
not that I said unto thee, Ye
must be born again."
(John 3:3,7)
The
Bible makes it clear that, "He
who hath the Son hath
everlasting life: and he who
believeth not the Son shall
not see life; but the wrath of
God abideth on him." (John
3:36)
That
means that all those who do
not personally know Jesus
Christ, must receive Him as
Savior and Lord in order to be
saved and to be in Heaven with
Christ for eternity.
ETERNITY
IS FOREVER - THERE IS A
REAL HEAVEN & A REAL HELL
St.
John emphasized: "If
we receive the witness of men,
the witness of God is greater:
for this is the witness of God
which He hath testified of His
Son. He that believeth
on the Son of God hath the
witness in himself: he
that believeth not God hath
made him a liar; because he
believeth not the record that
God gave His Son. And
this is the record, that God
hath given to us eternal life,
and this life is in His son.
He that hath the Son hath
life; and he that hath not the
Son of God, hath not life.
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 in the name of the Son
of God." (I John 5:9-13)
HERE
IS THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH - All
who reject Jesus Christ and
refuse to receive Him as Lord
& Savior are calling
Almighty God a LIAR, "because
he believeth not the record
that God gave of His
Son." (verse 10)
Do
you think for one moment that
anyone will escape the
judgment of God when they
reject Jesus Christ - His gift
to the world - and call Him a
liar?
That's
serious stuff, since God is
the judge of the entire world!
How do you think an earthly
judge would react if someone
in his courtroom called him
"a liar"? He
would immediately be guilty of
'contempt of court' of worse!
St.
Paul puts it all in
perspective when he says,
"For if the word spoken
by angels was steadfast, and
every transgression and
disobedience received a just
recompence of reward; How
shall we escape, if we neglect
so great salvation; which
at the first began to be
spoken by the Lord, and was
confirmed unto us by them that
heard him." (Heb. 2:2-3)
ETERNITY
IS REAL - ETERNITY IS FOREVER
In
the Apocalypse, St. John
warns: "And the
DEVIL that deceived them was
cast into the lake of fire and
brimstone, where the BEAST and
the FALSE PROPHET are, and
SHALL BE TORMENTED DAY AND
NIGHT FOR EVER AND EVER.
And I saw a great white
throne, and Him that sat on
it, from Whose face the earth
and the heaven fled away; and
there was found no place for
them.
"And
I saw the dead, small and
great, stand before God; and
the books were opened: and
another book was opened, which
is the book of life: and the
dead were judged out of those
things which were written in
the books, according to their
works."
"And
the sea gave up the dead which
were in it; and death and hell
delivered up the dead which
were in them: and they were
judged every man according to
their works. And death
and hell were cast into the
lake of fire. This is
the second death. And
whosoever was not found
written in the book of life
was cast into the lake of
fire." (Revelation
20:10-15)
HERE
IS THE GOOD NEWS! Jesus
invites, "Come unto
Me, all ye that labor and are
heavy laden, and I will give
you rest." (Matt.
11:28)
"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."
(John 3:16)
MAY
THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS
CHRIST, THE LOVE OF GOD THE
FATHER AND THE FELLOWSHIP AND
COMMUNION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
BE WITH US ALL,
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BIBLE
SCRIPTURES / VERSES ON SALVATION
Isaiah
1:18-19
God
invites: "Come now,
and let us reason
together... though your sins
be as scarlet, they shall be
as white as snow; though
they be red like crimson,
they shall be as wool."
(Isaiah 1:18-19)
MARK
8:34-38
Jesus
said, "What shall it
profit a man, if he shall
gain the whole world, and
lose his own soul?"
(Mark 8:34-38).
JOHN
3:16-17
"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."
"For
God sent not his Son into
the world to condemn the
world: but that the world
through Him might be
saved:"
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