Friends,

Eph. 5:15,16 warns us, “Be very careful, then, how you live –not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

The days are evil –we certainly know that. So, what are we doing about it? People are dying daily and going to Hell. Do we care? We say, “Yes,” but if it were true, would we not be living our lives very differently? If we really wanted to help, we would submit to the Lord’s training so that we could become vessels useful to Him in bringing salvation to the peoples of the earth. Does God not look for someone to send? For throughout the earth “this is a people plundered and looted, all of them trapped in pits or hidden away in prisons. They have become plunder, with no one to rescue them; they have been made loot, with no one to say, “Send them back.” (Isa. 42:22)

If God worked alone, why would He look for men He could send to rescue others? How often does the Lord ask, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” (Isa. 6:8 ) When God commanded Moses to go back to Egypt to deliver the Israelites from Pharaoh (Ex. 3:10), Moses continued to plead, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.” (4:13) God was not at all happy with Moses for his reluctance. (v. 14) Nor is He happy with those of us when we dilly-dally around after being commanded by God to go or do or say or write or feed or clothe or start or finish or build or tear down or speak up or stop or pray… And how many of us never do get around to obeying? “Just one more hour of T.V., God, okay?” Or “Just one more year here, God, okay?”

But we’d best be careful about continuing in apathy or hesitation. For God is a Great King (Mal. 1:14) and He expects to be reverenced (2:5) and obeyed. (Matt. 19:16,17) What will we say when He judges us for our conduct here on earth… when we stand before the King thinking that since we were invited to the banquet (22:14), that makes us eligible to attend… when the King asks, “Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?” (v. 12) –? We will be left speechless. (same verse) For when we “are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9) we, as verse 8 shows, must be wearing “clean… linen [which] stands for the [our] righteous acts.”

No matter how much the OSAS teachers want to preach rebellion against the Lord, God’s Word makes it abundantly clear that doing righteous DEEDS –done in the will of God– is what gets a person into Heaven. (Matt. 7:21-23 & Luke 3:8 & 9:24 & 11:28 & Rom. 6:16,23 & 8:13 & Gal. 6:8 & Heb. 4:11 & 6:8,11 & James 2:17-24 & 1 John 2:3,4 to name just a few.) As Jesus says, “… those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.” (John 5:29)

The Lord will not spare from Hell those who did not serve (obey / worship / reverence) Him, but only those who did His will / His bidding. (1 John 2:17) Concerning the latter, “‘They will be mine,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘My treasured possession, in the day when I act. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.’” (Mal. 3:17,18) It is about deeds. Only someone under a strong delusion for refusing to the love the Truth (2 Thes. 2:10-12) cannot accept that when Jesus says, “If you love Me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15), He is speaking about our deeds.

“Be very careful, then, how you live –not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity…” (Eph. 5:15,16) –Every opportunity to “save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Tim. 4:16) by “watching your life and doctrine closely.” (See same verse)

Sincerely,
with love,
Rachel

http://knowgodsword./