Biblical Christianity

Best Life Forever in Christ

By Ramil Delos Reyes | August 30, 2019 | Comments 0 Comment

If I were to ask you what kind of life you’re living right now, can you honestly say that you are living your best life? If you are a believer in Christ, your answer has to be a definitive “YES.” That’s because the best life, that is, a meaningful, fulfilled and abundant life, is found only in the Lord Jesus Christ.

However, if your definition of the best life is having everything you want without having to lift a finger, a life free from all worries and troubles, or success in everything you venture in, then you may not agree with me that the best life is not found in anything else on earth but in Christ alone.

Heaven on Earth

Do you ever ask why God doesn’t just bless all of us, believer or not, with all the material and spiritual blessings while we are still here on this earth? Imagine not having to work at all for our food and for our comfort. We will all have good health, all our needs and wants are provided, there’s no evil and no wickedness.

That way, we will all be happy and say, “Wow, this is heaven on earth!” Isn’t this what we all want? Who does not want a comfortable life wherein everything we want and desire can be ours in just a snap of a finger? You know what; this was God’s original design.

Going back to the day of creation, God prepared everything in the Garden of Eden before putting the man He had formed there. In other words, Adam did not have to worry about anything. The only task given to him by God was to tend and keep it (Genesis 2:8-9, 15).

Later on, when God created every beast of the field and every bird of the air, He brought them to Adam and told him to name them and he did. So whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name (Genesis 2:19-20).

So you see, Adam and Eve were enjoying heaven on earth in the Garden of Eden and were enjoying daily fellowship with God. The Bible says God would come down every day to meet with them in the Garden. Clearly, God and man used to have a very close, intimate relationship.

That relationship was immediately cut off the moment they deliberately chose to disobey God’s command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil as a result of the devil’s cunning schemes. (Read Genesis 3:1-24.)

Satan’s Rebellion Against God

We cannot totally blame the devil for deceiving Adam and Eve into disobeying God and we are not to come up with any excuses for them. God gave them the command and they sure were given the freedom to obey or disobey. Unfortunately, they chose the latter.

But that was only the beginning of the devil’s deceptive tactics in order to drive man away from God and will continue to do so. While we are on this earth, we will never be free from the evil schemes and temptations of Satan. Seeing people come to Christ in repentance and trying their hard to live their best life here on earth by walking according to God’s decrees and precepts makes the devil unhappy.

Satan rebelled against God and his rebellion continues today. He is not happy to see God’s creation praising and worshiping God. Satan desires the worship of God’s creation; he wants to overthrow God and become God (Isaiah 14:12-17).

The Devil Promises the Best Life

The devil envies God so he does everything he can in order to hinder God’s plan for His creations, by inflicting pain, sickness, trouble and anything else possible in his power so that people will complain and rebel against God the same way he did.

That’s the devil’s desires. He does these so man will turn away from God and start to look for other gods that can promise them a better life. And then the devil will draw near to those people who start to question God.

The devil then will start to make some offer – a better life here on earth. The devil will then say, “You can do all you want to be happy, it’s your life anyway. You’re the boss of yourself; life is short, so live it to the fullest.” In essence, the devil is saying, “It’s your life; only you can decide how you want to live it.”

This goes against the Word of God. Man was created in the image and likeness of God. God is holy and He hates sin so God’s people must also live a holy life (1 Peter 1:16) and stop living in sin. To be holy means to be separated from the world. Believers in Jesus are not to conform to the patterns of this world but be transformed by allowing God’s Word to renew their minds (Romans 12:1-2).

It’s easier said than done. While we are here on this earth, the devil will thwart God’s plan and destroy His creation because by doing so, the people will not be happy and might start to question God instead of praising Him. This is why the Bible reminds us to “thank God always,” because by doing so we are praising God (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Freedom and Free Will

God created us out of love; He created us with the free will to choose what kind of life we want to live and also the freedom to act according to our choices. Contrary to what some atheists claim that God is a control freak, He isn’t.

But this is one of the devil’s favorite “deception line.” He wants us to think and believe that we are FREE to do all we want and we should not allow anyone to hinder us, especially not God. After all, life here on earth is the end.

When we die, it’s all over, no heaven no hell, we cease to exist, the end! So, do your best to live life to the fullest, drink and eat, follow after all the lust of the flesh, get all that you want, and be greedy for more. All of that is okay, we are humans, we have to be happy and we need to survive.

The devil will continue to persuade men, putting all of these ideas into their hearts and minds, and the people just might agree with the devil. This is the most dangerous part, the cleverest way for Satan to deceive man. The devil will then say, “There is no such thing as evil and there is no God either. So go on and do all you want, be happy and survive!”

That’s where the devil is wrong! God has put a limit to the devil and his tactics. In fact, the devil cannot do anything without God’s permission. It’s the same thing with us, we must know where and when to draw the line. We are to set a limit as to what we should and should not do. Just because we were given free will and freedom that we will do whatever we want.

This is the work of the Holy Spirit who comes to dwell within us the moment we receive the Lord Jesus as our Savior. It is He who convicts us of sin and wrongdoings (John 16:8).

Best Life Forever In Christ

The devil may be crafty and will pull all the stunts in order to draw us away from God. But God has placed a fence around us and a hedge of protection over us to keep us from going astray and be vulnerable to our own destruction.

God has set some rules of do’s and don’ts to guide us for His best plan for the new heaven and the new earth. Someday, everyone who submits to God’s will and plan will obtain the best life forever.

It is God’s will that everyone will come to repentance, believes in the Lord Jesus Christ and spends eternity with Him in heaven. This is the true definition of the best life – a life forever with God.

In 1 John 2:15-17 it says “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

Why does God allow the devil to destroy peoples’ lives and inflict suffering upon them? It’s because God does not want us to love this world. This world will soon be destroyed completely and all who believe in Jesus Christ will be ushered into a new heaven and a new earth (2 Peter 3:10-13).

It will be in this new heaven and new earth that we will have our best life forever. Our best life is in Jesus Christ and it is through Him that all the heavenly inheritance and rewards will be given to us at the rewarding ceremony in heaven.

God’s plan for the believer shall surely stand; the devil will finally be put into prison, so that he can’t deceive anyone, anymore, and will forever be punished together with those who did not accept God’s gift of eternal life.

Concluding Words

I’m not saying that Christians will never have a fulfilling and abundant life while still on this earth. When Christ won the victory at the cross through His suffering, death, and resurrection, anyone who places their faith in Him is set free from the bondage of sin and death.

But being in the flesh, believers in Jesus are not totally free from the temptation to sin and the deception of the enemy. The good news is, God promises grace and self-control to resist them. In the event that we find ourselves in a position to commit sin and violate God’s will, He will make a way of escape that we may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Christians can live their best lives while here on earth. After all, Jesus has already defeated the enemy. He uses the power of suggestion to make God’s people commit sin but he cannot really force them to do what he wants. As I said, we have been given free will to obey or disobey God.

We live the best life in Christ here on earth by submitting to God and His will; fulfill God’s mandate to love Him above anything and anybody else and love others the same way we love ourselves. In other words, it’s all about living a life that is pleasing to God.

Jesus Christ is the One True God

By Ramil Delos Reyes | May 27, 2019 | Comments 0 Comment

As Jesus was discussing events that would take place on earth during the time of Tribulation in Matthew 24, He warns His disciples about being deceived by someone claiming to be “the Christ” (Matthew 24:4-5).

Jesus Christ is the one true God but the Jews have often been led astray by false prophets and false christs.

Matthew 24:4-5

And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.”

The True God can Forgive Sins

Only God has the power to forgive and cleanse sinners from their sins but a false god can’t do so. Mark 2:7 says that only God has the power to forgive sins; this is the statement of the Jewish people, the people that know the very perspective of God when it comes to dealing with sins.

In this passage, Jesus did not rebuke or correct them. Instead, He proved to them that He has the power to forgive and save (Mark 2:10).

Obviously, saying, “Your sins are forgiven!” would seem to be easier than healing him, because nobody can prove whether or not the forgiveness has really taken place.

So, to back up His words, Jesus immediately healed the man and sent him home. The healing of the man’s body was but an illustration and demonstration of the healing of his soul (Psalm 103:3).

The True God Sanctifies

Only the true Jesus is able to keep you sanctified; the false Jesus will require your sin offering every time you sin. At times, he demands you to come to another god (such as names of men or mystical gods) or demands you “to do” good works like feeding the poor.

In Philippians 1:6, it says that whatever good God has begun in the life of a believer, He will bring it to completion until the day of the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 teaches the same thing.

The True God Answers Prayers

Only Jesus, the one true God has the power to answer all prayers. The false god requires another name such as the names of angels or saints to come to God. 1 Timothy 2:5 says, “Jesus is the only mediator between God and men.”

The biblical account of “The Contest on Mount Carmel” in 1 Kings 18:20-40 is a great illustration of the power of the true God to answer prayers.

In this passage, the prophet Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to set up an altar of wood with a bull offering on it and then call on the name of their gods to consume the offering by setting it on fire.

From morning until noon the prophets of Baal called on the name of Baal; they even danced around the altar they made and cut themselves with knives until the blood gushed out on them as was their custom, but there was no answer.

Then it was Elijah’s turn to call on the name of the God of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to set the altar he prepared on fire.

“Then the fire of the Lord fell on the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, ‘The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!’” (1 Kings 18:38-39).

The True God Answers Prayers — Photo Credits: pastorerickson.com

The True God Saves

Only Jesus, the one true God, has the power to give salvation while the false Jesus will require another name for salvation (Acts 4:12). The false Jesus or false god can’t give eternal life; only the true God can.

God gave His only begotten Son so that we might receive eternal life if we will repent and put our trust in Christ; we need to believe in Him (John 3:16). To believe in Jesus does not only mean having “head knowledge” about Him. Rather, having a personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ.

The True God Has Power Over All Demons

Only the true Jesus has the name that has power over demons and “all” spiritual wickedness in high places. We read in Luke 8:26-39 how Jesus healed a demon-possessed man. Satan tried to destroy this man, but Jesus came to deliver him. By the power of His word, Jesus cast out the demons and set the man free.

We can tell by reading the passage that even demons believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and has the authority to command them (Luke 8:29). Demons even believe in prayer for they begged Jesus not to send them into the abyss.

The True God Brings Transformation

Only the true Jesus can bring change in our lives and bring forth the fruit of the Holy Spirit. While the false Jesus requires you to be a part of religion and keep their traditions in order to FEEL PURE.

In John 15:4-5, the apostle John wrote Jesus’ word, that only those grafted in the true Jesus will show good fruits, for apart from Him, no one will able to bear the Fruit of the Holy Spirit.

The Fruit of the Spirit does not rely on feelings because God’s words are not about our feelings but based on God’s faithfulness. God promised that He will give the true believer the Holy Spirit to help them walk in the Spirit, not in the flesh.

The True God Has Resurrected

Only the true Jesus has resurrected from the grave and has power over death but the false Jesus will die and remain dead unless he too will believe in the true Jesus. He will then rise from the grave too at the time on the day of the rapture.

1 Corinthians 15:3-8 records the risen Christ being seen by the first witnesses of His resurrection. John 20:26-29 records Thomas asking Jesus to show him His nail-pierced hands. He touched them and upon hearing Jesus’ voice he realized he was standing face-to-face with the true Jesus,

So Thomas cried, “My Lord and My God!” Doubting Thomas was convinced more than ever that Christ had risen!

The True God is the Creator

Only Jesus, the true God created everything, seen or unseen but the false Jesus was created and does not exist from eternity to eternity. John 1:3 says that “ALL” were made by Him and nothing was made without Him.

John 1:1 says the Word was with God and the Word was God, the Word here refers to Jesus in reference to Revelation 19:13.

The true Jesus is part of the Trinity or the One God in three persons while the false Jesus separates himself from the Father and the Holy Spirit.

In John 17:21 (and the whole context of this passage), Jesus teaches that the Father and His Spirit together with the Holy Spirit will make their abode in the believer so that we will become “One” in them as “THEY ARE ONE”.

The True God Leads Us to the Father

The true Jesus is the only way to Father while the false Jesus needs another name to go to the Father, such as in order to get to heaven, we need to be a member of certain church, in order to get to the Father, we need to go to certain name of saints (man) or Angels.

In Acts 4:12 says that only the name Jesus Christ was given for men’s salvation, In 1 Timothy 2:5 says that only the name Jesus Christ we have a mediator between God and man. In John 14:6 Jesus said He is the way, the truth, and the life, none can come to the Father except through Him.

Narrow is the Way that Leads to God

Dear readers, Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, that many will choose the wide gate leading to hell and few will find the right narrow gate leading to God’s Kingdom.

And Jesus continues in Matthew 7:21 that many “will call to Me Lord! Lord!” (The name Lord KURIOS in Greek, the name for God, which Jesus uses on that day).

It would be blasphemy if Jesus will be called Lord on that day in heaven on the Judgment day for only God/ELOHIM/One God in three persons, will stand with us on the Day of Judgment.

Again Jesus said, “FEW” will be saved while “MANY” will be condemned. Religions are many but few have a true relationship with God.

Religion or traditions will not save you; you need to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ!

Conclusion

My friend, only Jesus Christ the one true God can save you; a false Christ has no power to forgive “ALL” your sins (past, present, and future). The true Christ has PAID ALL YOUR SINS while the false Christ will demand you to pay some of your sins or demands you to do something for God. (Hebrew 10:14, Philippians 1:6, Galatians 5:4).

Examine your faith. Are you a follower of Jesus the one true God? Have you considered the messages above? Will you repent of your sins and believe in the real Jesus?