Stay with Jesus !

By Joyce Webb 2022

 

The foundation of our eternal salvation rests on our faith. Our willingness to believe that Jesus died in our place for our sins.

Forgiveness is a gift. Jesus dying in our place was a gift.

To receive it—we took it by faith—-that it was for us to have.

That was the beginning of a spiritual relationship—-a relationship that had been broken by sin—-it was now healed and we became joined and connected to God again.

This spiritual relationship is to grow and continue.

How much it grows, how strong it grows—depends on our choices.

Do we choose to obey God’s word? Do we ignore it and do what we want?

Do we give time to read the Bible and pray?

Do we ask the Lord to teach us and as we go through our day?

Are we willing to change the things in our life that are not pleasing to God?

When hard things, bad things, come into our life—do we turn to God for help—or do we get mad at God and blame Him for letting bad things happen?

Do we fill our days with things that are only about life on this earth, or do we give time to spiritual learning and thoughts?

What we choose to do and think—-makes our spiritual relationship with God stronger—or weaker.

There are many temptations —every day—to ignore God and be busy with other things.

There are many temptations to do wrong sinful things.

Temptations to look at things, be part of things and places—that are not wise —-because they can pull us away from God.

The Holy Spirit in the believer is sensitive (feels quickly) to sin.

If we want a strong spiritual relationship with God—-we need to give attention to the Holy Spirit within us.

We cannot keep hurting and insulting the Holy Spirit in us and think we will have a strong relationship with God.

The Holy Spirit-God the Father-Jesus are One. Each part or
“shape” of each of these has a certain “job” to do.

Water is H2O. It is 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom.
Water comes in 3 forms—liquid, ice, steam (vapor)—each shape or form is still H20.

We use each form in a different way.

The Trinity of God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are something like that. Each “form” of God has a certain “job” or way of working in people’s lives. But it is still all God.

When we are forgiven of our sins and we say we are now believers in Jesus—the Holy Spirit is with us to help us in “walking with God”.

In Acts, Chapter 2, we read about a deeper in-filling of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is very important to the Christian. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit “seals” us until we reach heaven.

A seal is like when you use an envelope and you lick it to make the glue stick to the paper. The enveloped is sealed and what is inside is kept safe and protected.

The Holy Spirit “seals” us as believers—so we can stay true to Jesus—The Holy Spirit keeps us safe and protected.

The Bible warns us —-that we can “hurt” the Holy Spirit—we can “grieve” the Holy Spirit.

“And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God,
( to make feelings of sadness or sorrow)

Whereby (by Him) you are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
Ephesians 4:30

This verse tells us that we can “hurt”, “insult”, cause “sorrow” to the Holy Spirit.

He is a person—not a thing. He is God—as is Jesus and God the Father.

We need the Holy Spirit to be with us always—so we can stay true to God—so we can learn God’s ways.

We need the Holy Spirit to speak to us and make us feel “guilt” when we do wrong things—-this keeps us going on the right path–it shows us what we need to do to keep our relationship with God.

We do not want to “hurt” the Holy Spirit. We do not want to make him feel “sorrow’.

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The Bible warns us that unbelief—not believing–can break our relationship with God.

In Hebrews 3:12,13.14 “Take heed, (be careful), brethren (brothers)
Lest there be any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

But exhort (talk to each other) daily (every day) —–lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.”

Bible teachers think Paul wrote this book. Paul is telling the people that they must be careful—because sin will deceive us–and make our hearts hard toward God.

Sin is the opposite of God. Sin will pull you away from God.

Sin will make your heart hard toward obeying God.

Sin will make you ignore God.

Sin is tricky. We can get pulled into it. We may not think we would do those things, or we may not think we would be weak and fall to temptation—but sin is sneaky. Little by little it can pull us in.

The Holy Spirit is the One who warns our spirit—don’t do it.

Paul warns the people—after a time—your heart will become hard to God. Then you will depart (leave) God.

Then Paul says—if you want a part of Christ—you have to hold on to your faith until the end.

“The beginning of our confidence” means what we continue to believe as we did —in at the beginning —when we became a Christian.

We have to hold on to that faith, belief, until the end of our life if we want to be a part of Christ and what he has for us.

Paul has written about the Christian life as if it were a race. A person has to finish the race to win.

You can not start out in the race—and quit—give up—and win the race. You have to finish.

In Ezekiel we read: “When a righteous man doth (does) turn from his righteousness, and commit (do) iniquity (sin),

And I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die:

because you have not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and the righteousness which he has done —-shall not be remembered—-but his blood will I require at your hand.” Ezekiel 3:19-21

God is telling Ezekiel the prophet/preacher that he has a responsibility to warn people about their sin. He is to warn those who are wicked and not believers, —–and he is to warn those who once believed but are now doing sins.

God said the person who at one time was righteous, but now is doing iniquity (sin)—-will die in his sin—unless he repents and comes back to God.

Again, in Ezekiel Chapter 18: 24 God said: “When the righteous turneth away from his righteouness, and committeth inquity, and does according to all the abominations (sins) that the wicked man does, —- shall he live?

Revelation 3:21 “To him that overcometh, —will I grant (give) to sit with me— in my throne.”

Matthew 10:24 “And you shall be hated of all men, for my name’s sake: but he that endureth (stays) to the end shall be saved.”

There are other Bible verses that say the same thing.

We have to stay with Jesus. We have to stay with faith. We have to finish this life in faith with Jesus—to have heaven as our home forever.

You can not start out on this path of faith—give up—start sinning again—and expect to live in heaven.

Sin has no place in heaven.

If a person is not interested enough in heaven and God to stay with him on earth—-then why would he want to be with God in heaven?

Satan and sin hate God. Satan does not want to be in God’s presence.

Why would a person who is sinning want to be in God’s presence?
Sin would not be allowed to stay there anyway.

The Bible says as the end of time gets near—men will “fall away from faith”. They will leave it.

I Timothy 4: 1 “…In the later times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed (attention) to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils;

People who once believed in Jesus—have left the faith—they were pulled away by teachings that we not true.

We must be careful —let nothing pull you away from God.

It is our relationship with God that will get us into heaven. This relationship with God must not be broken by sin and not believing.

Nothing on earth is more important than your soul making it to heaven.

Not your children, not your husband or wife, not any person—not keeping yourself alive here on earth—nothing is more important than you making it to heaven.

You can not save your children. You can teach them. You can pray for them. But they will have to choose for themselves.

(God takes care of children that are too young to know right from wrong.)

Every person–stands alone–before God some day. God will judge them on what they chose to believe.

Each person has a responsibility–themselves—to decide what they will believe. Each person decides for themselves if they will stay true to God —or not.

People in other countries can tell you how hard it is to be a Christian when the government is against Christians.

In America, we have had it easy—because most of our people were Christian believers.

America has changed, and is changing more everyday.

I believe that soon, Christians will have a hard time. It will not be easy to be a Christian.

We need to decide in our minds—now—what we will do when the day comes—-if we want to have food —-that we will have to say we do not believe in Jesus.

When your children are hungry—will you say you do not believe in Jesus—so you can have food for them?

(People may be required to have micro chips put in their hands for ID—in order to buy things. This is another scary thing. Because micro chips can have things programmed into them that can change things in your body and brain.)

If you say, you do not believe in Jesus—-remember what Jesus said about that—-

“Who so ever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father which is in heaven.

Who so ever shall deny me before men, him will I deny before my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 10:32

Someone might say—”Oh, I would just tell them that I did not believe in Jesus—get the food—but I would really believe in Jesus—I would just keep it a secret.”

It does not work that way.

Jesus was very clear—if you are not willing to “confess” “say” that you are a believer in Jesus in front of men—-then Jesus will not say he knows you—in front of His Father.

If you say to men—I do not believe in Jesus—-Jesus will not stand up for you —before the Father in heaven.

You do not have to go shouting in the streets that you are a believer. But if you are asked—you have to confess that you believe in Jesus—- and do not deny it and say NO—-or Jesus will deny you before the Father.

This will be very hard for some people some day. They will want to protect the ones they love. They will want to get what they need for the ones they love.

But if you deny Jesus—you are in danger of hell-fire.

You need to think about these things. You need to think about a time when you may have to say you are a believer. What will you do?

I pray often–that I will not be weak—that I will be true. We are all easy to give in to fear. In your mind, think about how important this is and determine to stay true to Jesus.

To say you do not know Jesus —to get food or other things–will only last a short time—-eternity is forever.

You would only be able to save your loved ones for a short time—but they would see you deny Jesus—and they may do the same—you and they would not make heaven.

Life on this earth is not worth giving up heaven.

Think about it. Determine in your mind what you want to do.

Pray often that you will be strong and true to the end.

Stay with Jesus.