Christian Duty

What is a Christian’s duty in today’s upside-down world?  Many seem to believe that the Christian has no duties at all. Salvation is free and without price they say.  This is true but God does ask, merely ask mind you, something:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. and be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.  (Romans 12:1,2)

God asks a great deal of his true followers here: 

1. We are not to be conformed to this world.
2. We should Sacrifice/Dedicate our lives to God’s service
3. He says that this is a reasonable requestand is acceptable to God.

Do you believe you are a born-again child of God?  Do you expect to live forever in heaven with God and other believers? If your answer is yes, how do you think you measure up to what God asks?  How often do you share your faith with unbelievers? How many times, say in the last year, have you done so?

Is this really a reasonable request or is it too much to ask (God merely asks!) in return for the priceless gift of eternal life in heaven?  Who could deny God this simple easy-to-do request? The answer is, only an unbeliever, only someone that does not have the Holy Spirit within could refuse such a simple request. 

Sadly, many do refuse and go to Hell instead of Heaven when they die.  They refuse this incomparable gift because they have been blinded by Satan and cannot even see, much less believe, God’s truth.  Many refuse to even believe that God exists. 

Why does God ask this of all His true believers?  It is because His desire is that everyone would believe and go to Heaven when they die.  Heaven though, is a perfect place, a place without sin and which unforgiven sinners may not enter.  Since we are all born in sin, only those that have been born-again can enter God’s Heaven. 

What does this mean? How can a person be born a second time?  Jesus was asked this question 2000 years ago.  Here is the answer He gave:

“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not  our witness.  If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Yes, God sent his only begotten son to die on a cruel cross that sinners worthy of death might have life, eternal life instead of death.  Yes, all they need to do is believe, just believe and receive the free gift of eternal life. Everyone though, on their own, refuses this precious gift.  Only those that God chose in eternity past and freed from Satan’s terrible bondage accept this absolutely free gift.  All others do not tuly believe and therefore receive eternal death in Hell instead of eternal life in Heaven. 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved”.       (John 3:1-17)

Where are you dear reader, do you choose eternal life or the pleasures of this short life for a season followed by eternity in the pit of Hell?  The choice is yours and God is waiting for your answer.  It cannot be just a wish but must come from your heart and be reflected in the in the life you live.