LAY HOLD ON ETERNAL
LIFE
13 I have written this
to you who believe in the Son of God so that you may know you have eternal life.
{1John 5:13 TLB}
The reason why most Christians are afraid of the
return of our Lord Jesus Christ is that they are not sure of their eternal
destination. They still doubt whether or not they will make heaven or hell.
They waver between two opinions; feeling saved some days and lost some other
days. Looking forward to eternal life one day and eternal damnation the next
day, they have completely become double minded. This double mindedness is
simply because they have no hold on eternal life, no anchor, no hope of
salvation.
The question is; why can’t they lay hold on
eternal life even though they are born again? Why do they speak in tongues,
heal the sick, cast out devil but are still afraid of the judgement day? The
answers to these questions are not far-fetched.
Firstly, there is a gross ignorance in the body
of Christ on how to lay hold on eternal life. Many have been told that in order
to have eternal life, they must keep a set of rules and regulations-the Jewish
laws. They are taught that perfection can be attained if and only if they
completely obey every precept of the laws of Moses without faulting a dot. This
error has made many Christians to become law-chasers instead of God –chasers.
They have more relationship with religious rules and rituals than they have
with God. However, because they are humans and have flesh and blood, they
haven’t been able to obey all the laws. This inability to keep the entire
commandments is the number one reason for the fear of rapture expressed by most
Christians.
Secondly, there is an extreme lack of faith in
Christ and His finished work on the cross. Most Christians don’t completely
believe that the death of Christ on the cross is enough to give them eternal
salvation, hence they try to complement what Christ has done by
self-righteousness-the works of the law. The majority of believers, think that
their acceptance of Christ was just to save them from their past sins and that
in order to have eternal salvation, they must struggle by themselves to lay
hold on eternal life. This again is a misconception and a gross error in the
body of Christ.
How then can one lay hold on eternal life? I am
going to show you how. It is very simple and the scripture will speak for
itself.
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold
on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good
profession before many witnesses. {1Timothy6:12}
Look carefully at the scripture above. What can
you see? Did it say anything about eternal life? Did it also say anything about
how to lay hold on eternal life? Did it say that keeping Jewish laws is the way
to eternal life? Did it talk about the kind of call God gave you and the kind
of life you got when you accepted Christ?
You see, to lay hold on eternal life, you must
fight for something. It is called FAITH. Faith is the only criteria you need,
to lay hold on eternal life. This faith is an assurance of your eternal
salvation. It is a steadfast hope that wavers not. It is an anchor on which the
promise of eternal life is fixed.
When God called you and you answered by faith in
Christ Jesus, what you accepted was eternal life. You were called unto eternal
life, but to lay hold on this eternal life and not let it slip away, you need
faith. Hence the verse above says: “Fight the good fight of faith” so that you
can lay hold on eternal life.
The reason most Christians are no longer sure of
their eternal destination is because they lack faith. Faith gave them eternal
life but they traded their faith in Christ for the works of the law. They no
longer believe that Christ’s death is enough to give them eternal salvation.
They have lost their faith.
Sadly, without faith, no man can obtain promises
from God. There is a promise of eternal salvation for everyone who believes. To
inherit this promise of eternal salvation, faith and patience is needed.
12 Then,
knowing what lies ahead for you, you won’t become bored with being a Christian
nor become spiritually dull and indifferent, but you will be anxious to follow
the example of those who receive all that God has promised them because of
their strong faith and patience.
13 For
instance, there was God’s promise to Abraham: God took an oath in his own name,
since there was no one greater to swear by, 14 that
he would bless Abraham again and again, and give him a son and make him the
father of a great nation of people. 15 Then
Abraham waited patiently until finally God gave him a son, Isaac, just as he
had promised.
16 When
a man takes an oath, he is calling upon someone greater than himself to force
him to do what he has promised or to punish him if he later refuses to do it;
the oath ends all argument about it. 17 God
also bound himself with an oath, so that those he promised to help would be
perfectly sure and never need to wonder whether he might change his plans.{Hebrews
6:12-17 TLB}
The only way to
receive God’s promise is via faith and patience. God has bound himself with an
oath just to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel. He
has proven to us that He will not change His mind about our eternal salvation
so that we can be perfectly sure that we have eternal life. God is not a man
that He should lie neither is He the son of man that He should repent. Has he
said it will He not do it?
18 He
has given us both his promise and his oath, two things we can completely count
on, for it is impossible for God to tell a lie. Now all those who flee to him
to save them can take new courage when they hear such assurances from God; now
they can know without doubt that he will give them the salvation he has
promised them.19 This
certain hope of being saved is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls,
connecting us with God himself behind the sacred curtains of heaven,20 where
Christ has gone ahead to plead for us from his position as our High Priest,[b] with the honor and rank of
Melchizedek.
{Hebrews 6:18-20
TLB}
He gave us not only the promise of salvation but
also an oath to back it up. We can completely count on these two things. All
who accepted the call to salvation, who escaped the wrath to come; those who
flee to Him to save them should now have a new courage, an assurance, knowing
that He will give them the salvation He promised. There is a new hope. A strong
and trustworthy anchor for our souls because we know that Christ our High
priest has gone behind the veil of heaven to plead for us. He lives to ever
make intercession for us.
Now that we know we have eternal life only by
faith, we must therefore not stray away from the faith in pursuit of self
-righteousness by keeping Jewish laws. Lay hold of this eternal life by
fighting to keep your faith. Let no man take your faith away by vain philosophy
and human doctrine. Don’t abandon your faith.
1-5 The Spirit makes
it clear that as time goes on, some are going to give up on the faith and chase
after demonic illusions put forth by professional liars. These liars have lied
so well and for so long that they’ve lost their capacity for truth. They will
tell you not to get married. They’ll tell you not to eat this or that
food—perfectly good food God created to be eaten heartily and with thanksgiving
by believers who know better! Everything God created is good, and to be
received with thanks. Nothing is to be sneered at and thrown out. God’s Word
and our prayers make every item in creation holy.
6-7 You’ve been
raised on the Message of the faith and have followed sound teaching. Now pass
on this counsel to the followers of Jesus there, and you’ll be a good servant
of Jesus. Stay clear of silly stories that get dressed up as religion.
{1Timothy 4:1-7 MSG}
Just as the bible said it will
be in the last days, that many will abandon their faith and hold on to religion,
so it is happening in almost every church today. Religion is the order of the
day; with little or no faith. Fear is preached every day from the pulpits and
self-righteousness seems to be the criteria for eternal life now. No wonder
many are afraid of the wrath to come. No wonder they can’t lay hold on eternal
life. The promise of eternal life is sure and steadfast but only a few have
held on to it by faith.
9 We
believe men who witness in our courts, and so surely we can believe whatever
God declares. And God declares that Jesus is his Son.10 All
who believe this know in their hearts that it is true. If anyone doesn’t
believe this, he is actually calling God a liar because he doesn’t
believe what God has said about his Son.
11 And what is it
that God has said? That he has given us eternal life and that this life is in
his Son. 12 So
whoever has God’s Son has life; whoever does not have his Son, does not have
life.
13 I have written
this to you who believe in the Son of God so that you may know you have eternal
life. {1John 5:9-13 TLB}
What is it that God has said?
Do you believe it? Do you believe that you have eternal life once you have
faith in God? This eternal life is in His Son-Jesus Christ not in the Jewish
laws. The eternal life is not in religion or a bunch of rituals. It is in Jesus
Christ. Those who have a faith- relationship with the father are those who can
lay hold on eternal life. If any man draws back from faith unto religious
rituals, God shall have no pleasure in him. The just shall live {have eternal
life} only by FAITH.
My heart desire is that every
Christian; both pastors, bishops and members will understand that faith is what
they need to lay hold on eternal life. I wish they will acknowledge the
finished work of Christ on the cross. I wish they will fight to protect their
faith. I wish they will just understand john 3:16 and believe that whosoever
believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. I wish the church will
believe this message enough to preach it to the world. To tell the world that
the worst sinners can still have eternal life only if they repent and place
their faith in Jesus Christ.
15 How true it is, and how I long that everyone
should know it, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—and I was
the greatest of them all. 16 But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus
could use me as an example to show everyone how patient he is with even the
worst sinners, so that others will realize that they, too, can have everlasting
life. 17 Glory and honor to God forever and ever. He is
the King of the ages, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God, and full
of wisdom. Amen.{1 Timothy 1:15-17 TLB}
Eternal life is a free gift to
those who have faith in Christ Jesus. It is not a reward for keeping Jewish
laws. The law gives power to sin and sin leads to death but the free gift is
eternal life. Accept the free gift by faith.
56 The sting of death
is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to
God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. {1Corinthians
15:56-57}
22 But now you are free from the power of sin and
are slaves of God, and his benefits to you include holiness and everlasting
life.23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.{Romans 6:22-23 TLB}
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