From Now Until Eternity
Suppose you reach the pearly gates of Heaven and with utmost excitement rush to meet Jesus personally for the first time, only to be told “…get away from me, I never knew you.” (Matthew 7:23, NLT)
How difficult must that be to hear. In a sense you feel betrayed. You have been a faithful servant and served boldly for His sake, yet where did it go wrong? Then you realise how serious Jesus is; now you have an eternal problem from which there is no saving.
Keep that in mind and consider this: What is our primary goal as carriers of the glorious Gospel of Grace?
The answer is simple- to introduce every person into the presence of Christ for now and eternity!
If, at the end of our religious activities- our Bible studies; church services, outreach programmes, evangelism, prayer meetings – we have not actively introduced people into the eternal presence of Christ, we have totally missed the point. We would have served in vain.
How can we action a remedial response if we find ourselves in this situation?
1. Actively seek the Lord daily-
Matthew 6:33, seeking “first the kingdom of God and His righteousness..”
Jeremiah 29:13, seeking God “with all our hearts.”
In order to invest in others you must first have something to give; you cannot give what you don’t have. Get comfortable being alone with God! Know where you are heading and lead people there.
2. Actively empowering others-
Galatians 6:9-10, using every “..opportunity to do good to people..” and not “..being weary of doing good..”
Every gift God has given us is to equip us for life in service, out of love for Jesus Christ. Aim to encounter Christ more and more by looking for good in others.
In the end, there is nothing worse than introducing others into the presence of Christ, while the self is distant from Him. Get to know him personally as you serve in this lifetime, always remembering we are serving in this life for eternity.
