In Spanish: A ti, ¿cuánto te vale el cielo?
How much is heaven worth? What’s it worth to you? Does it really mean that much? What would you give — to make sure you got to heaven?
Do you actually want to get to heaven? The way you are living should clearly show your faith in Christ.
I would think that IF it means so much to you — then your life would be lived many different ways because of it. Right? So, what on earth are you doing?
Like the man who found a pearl of immense value – in a field (Matthew 13:45-46). What did he do?
He sold all he had, went and bought that field – and took possession of the pearl! His life changed in many different ways because he truly, greatly valued that pearl. He did whatever it took — to get that pearl.
Example of “being all in” – for that pearl of great worth: Bill Armstrong, CEO of Armstrong Oil & Gas: “he risked a big chunk of his own money on a hunch that he spotted a large pool of oil in Alaska.” – FoxBusiness.com feature
What on earth are you doing — to really take hold of your possession of heaven? Does your faith make a difference in the way you live? Have you “sold out” for Christ?
What will you give to save your soul? Jesus put it this way:
Matthew 16:26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (also in Mark 8:37)
God is not an idiot. You cannot fool Him. We cannot pledge alliance to Him, saying one thing — while doing another. He knows all things. Nothing is hidden from His sight. He sees through our inner soul. He sees our inner longings and dreams. He knows you. You cannot say one thing on Sundays, and hide what you really are like on Fridays!
Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
Any man’s faith is dead faith, if his life contradicts his so-called faith. Faith is not a philosophy you spout about, but rather an allegiance you live out day-to-day with all your heart.
Are you real, or two-faced?
What is your lifestyle showing God? Are you real, or two-faced? God requires we come to Him in sincerity and truth.
The man with the pearl gave it all up to get that pearl. Are you doing the same — for Christ? When I see the emotional intensities inside me, and the strong will that turns my rudder — I am frightened by the standard of God as stated by Christ.
Mark 12:28-31 28 One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord;
30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (And also: Deuteronomy 6:5)
What you love in life – all your “loves”: Are they robbing you of love for God? Is your “all” for God… “all your heart, and …all your soul, and …all your strength, and …all your mind….” –Luke 10:27. Does your claim to follow Christ show on the outside — by how you love your neighbor (“as yourself”)?
Faith is not
a philosophy you spout about,
but rather
an allegiance you live out
day-to-day with all your heart.
The truth is, what you say is absolutely worthless – without all of you behind it in action. I think what God is saying here is: It’s all or nothing.
A worthless life arrives in Hell –
Life is full and fast and brief
I’ll not throw it all away – for what?
I give my all, absolutely all to Jesus
all my willful, willful self,
all I am, all I want — all for Christ alone.
I’ll step on in to Heaven, complete in Him alone.
But He requires my all.
If I’m not all “in” for Him, my faith is dead and I’m not His and His alone, and I’m not bound for Heaven. But I could reject His calling me, all my life, and lay upon my deathbed, and finally truly bow my will to Him, and He’d forgive me and receive me into Paradise – just as He did the lucky thief hanging next to Christ at Calvary.
But how deceptive is the heart. Wow! To go through life and live for self, and then finally come to God’s Great Throne – and hope for… what? The Bible states it loud and clear: You must be born again. “…it is [y]appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Hebrews 9: verse 27). The one who is born again – shows he is born again. Following Jesus is the natural outcome of a changed life.
James 1:25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.
Salvation in Christ is not essentially about sin. God does not save you because you throw away your sin, or because you are able to stop sinning. No.
Salvation is about your yielding to Him in repentance, and acknowledging Christ as God over all. Jesus took care of sin – on the cross. That is not in question. He’s got you covered there. He’s got all the world covered there!
But the crux of the matter for salvation — is your will: Are you going to bow your will to Him? Are you willing to acknowledge the holiness of Christ, and in confession and repentance give Him your life?
We sinners do not become born again — because we stop sinning. Sinning is not the issue. We are saved the moment we bow our will to Him in sincerity and truth. And then, once He saves us – then, consequently, we start a brand new existence, and start learning how to stop sinning, how to be more and more like Christ.
(1) No walk – just talk? No entrance granted.
(2) Truly born again – truly following Him? Then entrance has been granted into the eternal.
If you want to start following Christ, read “The Roman Road“. A yielding heart will pray something like this:
I pledge allegiance to You, my Savior Jesus Christ. I acknowledge You as God come down to earth as a man. I bow my will to You. I confess and repent of my sinfulness. I yield all that I am to You. Be Lord of my life, I pray. I will show You the realness of my pledge by following You day by day as Your disciple. Help me learn to be more and more like you, oh My Lord.
Salvation is about your yielding to Him
in repentance,
and
acknowledging Christ as God over all.
So what’s heaven worth to you? I’d say it’s worth all I’ve got, all I am. Anything less is phony baloney… not sincere… not enough.
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