CHAPTER B
Does it matter to you whether you live or whether you die?
There are 3 indisputable realities concerning every person living on the face of the Earth that are absolutely true…that no individual would dispute, or question, or disagree with, or have a different opinion about. Everyone, everywhere, would agree with these 3 facts without question:
- I am alive; I exist; I have a pulse; I am living and I am breathing; I am not dead.
- Death is a certainty; my body is going to physically die and end up in a grave.
- I do not know when I am going to die. I do not know how much time remains until the death of my body…whether tomorrow, or another week, a month, a year, a decade or multiple decades. This is true no matter what my age is right now… even if I am just a child. Your real age is how much time you have from this moment until the death of your body. A child who is going to die tomorrow or a year from now is much older than a 70 year old who is going to live another decade. So no one really knows their true age.
For those of us who are born-again, Heaven is most assuredly our home!
The moment I take my last breath on Earth, I will take my first breath in Heaven! The moment I am absent from my physical body as a result of death, at that same moment I am immediately and consciously present together with the Lord in Heaven! My passage to Heaven is a direct and uninterrupted seamless route! Death of this body brings my disembodied soul/spirit immediately together with my Lord Jesus in Heaven for all eternity!
Physical death is not a state of unconscious sleep until the return of Christ. Death is merely a transition whereby my soul/spirit departs the body and no longer resides in the physical realm. It now uninterruptedly continues on living in the spiritual realm only…no longer in both realms…instantly and fully consciously together with Christ! Hallelujah! At such time when the Second Coming of Christ takes place, each of us will then at that time receive our glorified bodies!
Jesus told the repentant thief on the cross, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Prior to being born-again, I existed only in the physical realm…but now I have been born a second time…born again…born into the Family of God in the Kingdom of God. I experienced a second birth…this time into the spiritual realm where prior to this I did not exist. I was born again; I became a child of the Most High God and was adopted into the Family of God by birth and by Blood!
Just as in the physical realm flesh gives birth to flesh, just so in the spiritual realm Spirit gives birth to spirit. Humans can only reproduce human life, but the Holy Spirit brings into being a new and distinct spiritual life from Heaven. Just as in the physical realm a new life is born of human parents into the physical realm, just so in the spiritual realm a new life is born of the Holy Spirit into the spiritual realm. Now I exist BOTH in the physical realm AND in the spiritual realm!
My spiritual birth is not a mental or a theological concept; it is just as literal and just as real a new birth as was my physical birth. A person is born into physical life through human parents, but is born into spiritual life in the Kingdom of God through Divine parents…by God the Father through the Power of the Holy Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. What is born of the flesh through human parents is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit through Divine Parents is spirit. The person I am now, newly born of the Spirit, is NOT the same person I was that was born of the flesh…merely re-born. A distinct and uniquely new life came into existence.
I am an entirely new creation; a fresh, new life…a spiritual life…has came into existence. I am no longer the same person I formerly was. My previous moral and spiritual condition has passed away. Behold, a fresh, new life has begun! God Himself is therefore my Father and I am His child; I bear His spiritual DNA in my soul! Hallelujah!
If anyone does not possess the Holy Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ and is not truly a child of God. Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the true sons/daughters of God.
Abba Father…Your children are continually being led by Your indwelling Holy Spirit. And You have so lovingly assured me, Your child, that I needn’t be like a cowering, fearful slave in Your Presence. Your Holy Spirit, God’s eternal gift, doesn’t make cowards out of us. He endues me with power and love and a sound mind…that I should freely abide with You as Your very Own child, adopted by birth into the bosom of Your Family, crying out unashamedly without reservation to You: “Abba, Father!” For Your indwelling Holy Spirit speaks to me deep in my heart, reassuring me and confirming within me, that indeed I really am Your child! [Rom 8:14]
Now we look forward with confidence to our new and glorious heavenly bodies, realizing that every moment we spend in these earthly bodies is time spent away from our eternal home in Heaven with Jesus. And we are not afraid but are quite content to die, for then we will be at home face to Face with the Lord. [2 Cor 5:6,8]
For to me [Paul], living is for Christ, and dying is even better. Yet if I live, that means fruitful service for Christ. I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: sometimes I desire to remain on Earth for further fruit-bearing, and sometimes my yearning desire is to die and be free of this world to be with Christ, which is far, far better. I long to go and be with Christ. That would be far better for me, but it is better for your sake that I remain here in my physical body and live. [Phil 1:21-24]
Jesus said to her [Martha], I Myself am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in Me, although he may physically die, yet shall he live; and whoever continues to live in reliance and faith believing upon Me shall positively never actually die at all. Do you believe this? [John 11:25]
Christ Jesus emphatically declared, “I assure you, those who listen to My message and believe in God Who sent Me already possess eternal life. They will never be judged for their sins and condemned, but they have already permanently passed out of death into eternal life.”
Whoever believes in Him never comes up for judgment to be condemned, but whoever does not believe stands already tried, convicted, and condemned for not believing in the Name of God’s one and only Son. [John 5:24; 3:18]
God Himself has given this testimony concerning His Son: I have granted you eternal life, and this life is given through union with My Divine Son Jesus.
Whoever is joined together with My Son in a living union of oneness as the bride of Christ already possesses that life;
whoever is NOT joined together with My Son in a living union of oneness as His bride
does NOT possess that life.
I have written this to you so that you who place your trust in Christ My Son will know, beyond the shadow of any doubt, that you do now indeed already have eternal life.
As for me, I will continue beholding Your Face in righteousness; I shall be fully satisfied, for I will see you face to Face when I awaken in Heaven and find myself beholding Your form and having sweet communion with You. [Ps 17:15]
“When I in righteousness at last Thy glorious Face shall see;
When all the weary night has passed, and I awake with Thee;
To view the glories that abide, then and only then will I be satisfied.” [F. Bullard]
Born-again children of God know these truths from what is written in Scripture…but do you believe this; have you fully embraced this? Knowledge of these truths in your mind, and embracing these truths in your heart, are two entirely different and unrelated realities! When death is at your door, will you be afraid to die? Probably, yes…if you have not already settled this in your heart well before the approach of death becomes imminent. Even the most accomplished theologians, Bible scholars, and Godly men & women have been blind-sided by the sudden and imminent approach of death, and have suddenly found themselves on a desperate search for assurance of their eternal salvation! None of us are exempt!
Brethren…if I am not prepared to die, neither then am I prepared to live!
Satan will be the relentless accuser of every born-again believer…especially in our later days as death draws nigh…and I can be sure he will come and attempt to steal, kill, and destroy my peace, joy, assurance, and sense of well-being as a child of the Most High God:
- You are not worthy of Heaven; he will parade before my mind, heart, and conscience the entire record of transgressions proven against me. He will remind me that for so long…for so many, many, years…I had sinned against God, and that I had sinned against Him so often…so very often, and so deeply…so very deeply. I do not deserve to be in Heaven.
- You do not qualify to be in Heaven; you do not have a sufficient resume that you can present before God that qualifies you for acceptability. You have not earned the right to be there, nor have done anything sufficient to warrant or merit being there.
- You have been like an unfaithful, adulterous wife, having intimacy and love affairs with the world and thereby breaking your marriage vows to God!
- You have not spent sufficient time in prayer for family members and friends, and as a result it is your fault they are in Hell right now.
- It is too late for you to accept Christ; you are on your death-bed with just hours to live, and you have lived your entire life apart from Christ.
- You were never really born-again; the prayer you offered was not from your heart.
- You committed the unpardonable sin; you can’t be forgiven.
Just as it is destined that each person die once, and after that to face judgment… [Heb 9:27]
Following is an imagination inspired word-picture of this imminent Judicial Court scene in Heaven: Upon my death, I will be brought before Heaven’s Court…
God the Father is seated on the Bench as Judge.
Satan stands before the Judge as my accuser, and presents his case…in a seemingly endless, fully documented, record of transgressions proven against me. He will parade before the Court my sins and failures, mistakes and imperfections…that for so long, for so many, many, years, I had sinned against God…and that I had sinned against Him so very often, and so very deeply. He will demand that all Righteousness and Justice calls for a verdict of “Guilty as Charged,” and that I be sentenced to eternal separation from God in Hell.
Christ Jesus then arises as my Advocate to intercede on my behalf before the Judge. Michael is My bride; he is eternally joined together with Me in divine spiritual marriage. I Myself am the atoning sacrifice for his sins; I paid the penalty with My Own Blood in complete satisfaction of the Righteousness and Justice of God.
God the Father then calls for the Book to be brought forth, and turns the pages to my name. He examines the Book, and declares, “There is no record of any transgressions written against his name. His record is perfectly clean; he is without sin.”
The Judge’s hammer comes down, and He renders His verdict: “NOT GUILTY!”
Just as it is destined that each person die once, and after that to face judgment, so also Christ died once as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will appear a second time, but not to deal with our sins again. This time he will bring eternal salvation to all those who are eagerly waiting for Him. [Heb 9:27-28]
IT IS FINISHED…The Eternal Power and Eternal Worth of the Blood of Christ has secured eternal forgiveness of my sins, and has guaranteed and secured my Judicial Status of Eternal Righteousness before God as an accomplished and finished fact!
The accuser of God’s children [Satan], who accuses me before our God day and night, has been hurled down! I have overcome him…
by the Blood of the Lamb…through the eternal Power and the Eternal Worth of His Blood…
and by the word of my testimony,
and by the fact that I do not love my life so much as to shrink back from death… neither death to self, nor physical death should that become necessary. [Rev 12:10-11]
I do not desire to save my life for myself and my own self-interests, but willingly lose my self-life for Your sake.
Lord God Almighty, You are faithful and just to cleanse me of all unrighteousness…You have forgiven me of all I have ever done, and have blotted out the entire record of transgressions proven against me…erased the entire record of my sins. You removed my sins from me as far as the East is from the West, and have cast my sins into the depths of the sea, never to remember them against me again. You have expunged all of my sins from the record; there is nothing written against my name in Your Book, just as if I had never sinned! And You have conferred upon me the judicial status of eternal righteousness as an accomplished and finished fact. Sin can NEVER AGAIN stain my soul and separate me from God, because the Blood of Christ Your Son envelopes my soul, and sin cannot penetrate it!
Whoever, then, shall bring any charge against those who have become God’s chosen and thereby adopted as His children? It is God Who justifies and puts me into right standing with Himself! Who is there to condemn me? Will Christ Jesus, Who died… more than that, Who was raised to life and is at the right hand of God interceding on my behalf? Whoever shall separate me from the Love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship, distress or persecution…famine, nakedness, danger, or sword? Never! As it is written in the Scriptures…for His sake I must be ready to face death at every moment of the day; we are like sheep awaiting slaughter. No…in all these things I am more than a conqueror through You, Lord…the One Who Loves me! For I am persuaded, beyond the shadow of any doubt, that neither death nor life; nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers; nor things present, nor things to come; nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all Creation, shall ever be able to separate me from the Love of God my Father, which flows unceasingly through You, Precious Lord Jesus…my Redeemer and my King! Hallelujah!
[Col 2:13-14; Rom 8:33-39] Hallelujah!
Beloved child of God…Draw near to God with a sincere heart in full and confident assurance of faith. The Eternal Power of the Blood of Christ My Son continually sprinkles your heart from a tormenting, self-condemning conscience…forever releasing you and setting you free from a conscience that constantly seeks to hold you guilty and condemn you. Even more, whenever your conscience seeks to override these spiritual realities…seeking to override Christ Jesus My Son Who has declared that there is now no condemnation for those washed in His Blood, and seeks notwithstanding to condemn you and hold you guilty…I assure you that the Blood of Christ sprinkles your heart from this evil self-condemning conscience!
[Father God…Heb 10:19-23; 1 John 3:20]
Beloved child…don’t you yet understand? You are dressed in the white robes of His Own Righteousness, and joined together with Him in an eternal living union of oneness! Whenever your conscience condemns you, and your heart makes you feel guilty, you can still have peace before God. God is greater than your heart, and I know all things… nothing is hidden from Me! And, beloved, if your conscience is no longer able to accuse you with tormenting self-accusation to make you feel guilty and bring condemnation, you may then have boldness, freedom, and confident assurance before your God and Father! Wherefore, My child, having now boldness to enter into the Holy of Holies by the Blood of My Divine Son Jesus, by the way which He Personally dedicated for you…a new and living way to God through the veil, that is to say, through the veil of your flesh…and having a Great Priest over the House of God, I lovingly urge you to draw nigh with a true heart without further hesitation or delay in fullness of faith, having your heart sprinkled from an evil conscience and having your body washed with pure water; abide here with Me, My child, continually and unceasingly in the fullness of faith.
[Heb 10:19-20, 22]
Abba Father, I understand. The Eternal Power of the Blood of Christ continually washes anew my garments that often-time become soiled with sin, making them clean again, dazzling and white. Thank You for washing my feet with pure water…for washing the dust of sin off my feet, enabling me to stand before You, to abide here with You in the Holy Of Holies in the inaccessible Light of the Glory of Your unclouded Presence, having been washed in the Blood of the Lamb, dressed in the white robes of His Own Righteousness, pure and holy now in Your sight, without spot, wrinkle, or blemish! [Eph 5:25-27, Col 1:22; Phil 2:14]
The Eternal Power of the Blood of Christ continually sprinkles my heart from an evil conscience…an evil conscience that seeks to retain my guilt, to hold me guilty, and to condemn me, in its relentless attempt to override Your assurance that there is now no condemnation for those who are joined together with Christ Your Son in an eternal living union of oneness! [Rom 8:1-2] Hallelujah!
Even more…You have given me fine, radiant linen to wear…dazzling and white…which are my righteous acts, my righteous deeds, which Your Holy Spirit alone works through me, with me, and in me as I give Him free reign to do so…that my light would so shine before the souls of men that they may see in me, as a mirror of the Almighty, the God-ordained origin of the moral excellence being continually wrought in me by Your Holy Spirit…my praiseworthy, noble, righteous acts and good deeds which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men…and thereby recognize, honor, praise, and glorify You, Father, in Heaven, for all You alone have done in the hearts of Men wholly surrendered unto You down through the unfolding generations of time since Your creation of Adam. [Matt 5:16] Hallelujah!
O Death…where now is your victory? Where now is your sting? The sting that causes eternal death is sin…and sin gets its power and authority to cause death from the Law. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them;” and “The wages of sin is eternal death.” But thanks be to You, Father…You have given me eternal victory over both sin and death through Christ Jesus Your Son. [1 Cor 15:55-56; Gal 3:10; Rom 6:23]
In Him, You have set me eternally free from both the penalty for sin and from the power of sin, and have conferred upon me the judicial status of eternal righteousness before You as an accomplished and finished fact!
Blessed Jesus…by virtue of the Eternal Power and Eternal Worth of Your Blood, which You poured out on my behalf on that cross at Calvary for the forgiveness of my sins, there is now no condemnation for those of us who are joined together with You in an eternal living union of oneness as Your bride…the bride of Christ. You have given me the free gift of eternal life…for the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has set me forever free from the Law of sin and death! Hallelujah! [Rom 8:1-2]
You have called me out of darkness into You marvelous Light; You have transferred me out of the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light! I am no longer a citizen of this world, no longer under the jurisdiction of the law of this world…the law of sin and death. I am a citizen of Heaven, and as such I am under the jurisdiction of the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus! Hallelujah!
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Holy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcx2O9WXvn8&feature=youtu.be
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