The Daily Word of Righteousness

Fifty-two Kingdom Concepts, #21

Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man. (Luke 21:36—NIV)

The saints will ascend the thrones that govern the creation. Then the Lord and His saints will descend on the white war stallions and drive wickedness from the earth.

The Lord Jesus Christ will be crowned King of kings on David's throne in Jerusalem. Then He will send out His saints to govern the nations that have survived the Battle of Armageddon.

The only people who can look forward to these last days with confidence are those who truly are abiding in Christ. A mere profession of having been "saved" will not be enough. We must be really living in Christ, serving Him each day, if we hope to stand in triumph before the Son of Man.

The Christian people in America need to be warned that the events of the end-time will be "out of the frying pan into the fire" for all except those who are genuine disciples of the Lord Jesus.

Eternal Life

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16—NIV)

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10—NIV)

Eternal life is the central message of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Contrary to popular opinion, eternal life is not the same as Heaven. Eternal life is a kind of life. Heaven is a place. An individual can be with or without eternal life in Heaven or on the earth.

God did not give His Son so whoever believes in Him would go to Heaven, as we usually preach, but would have eternal life.

You can't go to Heaven today unless you die, but you certainly can have life today. So we see there is a difference between Heaven and eternal life.

Eternal life is the Life of God that comes to us through the Lord Jesus Christ. He Himself is the Resurrection and the Life.

There are two kinds of life: flesh and blood life, and the Life of God. Flesh and blood life is a temporary kind of life, subject to corruption, and cannot possibly enter the Kingdom of God. Eternal life is eternal, is not subject to corruption, and is an aspect of the Kingdom of God.

Eternal life can be experienced in degrees. There is life, and then there is more abundant life. Paul told Timothy, who certainly was saved and had a portion of eternal life, to lay hold on eternal life.

When we receive Christ as our Savior we are given a portion of eternal life. Then the fight is on. Our sinful nature desires to maintain its own ideas and life. The eternal life that is in us desires to increase so our fellowship with God may increase.

Death and life struggle each day for mastery over us. If we obey God in all matters, living as a Christian should, observing the commandments of Christ and His Apostles, God will deliver us from sin and rebellion one step at a time. Each deliverance from spiritual death causes spiritual life to increase in us.

To be continued.