A MOMENT OF TRUTH
Stanley Hamilton
"And hereby know we that we know Him, if we keep His commandments, He that saith I know, Him and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (1 John 2: 3,4)
Sadly, many Christians have been taught that once they respond to an invitation, pray for forgiveness of sin, shake the preacher's hand, get baptized and join the church, that Heaven is ASSURED them FOREVER. From then on, they continue life as usual. NOT SO! This cannot be.
The Christian life is to reflect the righteousness of Jesus. We are to walk in the "newness of life" (Rom. 6:4). There is nothing new about the old sinful life. We now have a new LORD and a new way to live. WE follow Jesus and OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS! The PROOF of salvation is that we keep His commandments.
Jesus said, (Matt. 7:21) " . . .Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in Heaven." They supposedly worked in the Lord's Name, and presented themselves, expecting to enter in. . . . . .their SIN KEPT THEM OUT! They perhaps had been forgiven of their sin, but had resubmitted to sin (Romans 6:16) and AGAIN become entangled in the yoke of bondage.
THROUGH GRACE, God gave us a second chance to be in fellowship with Him (to walk in HIS LIGHT). IF, IF, IF we walk in the light ( obedient to God's Word) AS HE IS IN THE LIGHT, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son ,cleanses us from all sin (1 JOHN 1:7) . . . . . . But what if one chooses to continue the old path, AFTER BEING SAVED, will God force him into Heaven anyway?