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Romans 8:28-30
Message No. 0619 | Twitter @GodandUs | www.wisdom-speaks.ca
When I was a younger Christian, I remember an argument I had with a Jehovah’s Witness member, about believers going to heaven after the rapture. He made me question what I was talking about as though I was completely out of my mind. To him, God did not promise heaven to non-Israelis, and not even all Israelis are destined for heaven. He ‘educated’ me that we cannot go to heaven because the ship was already full (I am using my own words). There are only 144,000 people for whom heaven is reserved, and those people have already been chosen by God. And he did question why I wanted to go to heaven anyways, because the Bible says the meek will inherit the earth, so he will remain here to inherit the earth after the rapture. I must confess that his claims made me to go back and read the Bible properly.
Without question, human beings have blamed God or other people for their actions since Adam. When God caught him and Eve red-handed, rather than say sorry to God, Adam blamed God for giving him a woman, after all, he did not complain to God that he needed a companion. If God had not brought him Eve, he would have not disobeyed God. What a convenient excuse! Unfortunately, God does not have a provision for pardoning those who refuse to repent of their sins, so He drove the couple out of the garden. If Adam had said sorry to God, we probably wouldn’t be where we are today.
You see, those who don’t want to repent or leave their sins always find ways to defend their stands. One of the popular areas in the Bible that these people use is in Romans chapter 8 verses 28 to 31:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
According to the promoters of this lie, it will not be their fault if they don’t make it to heaven because God already predetermined those who would be saved. They say that God already foreknew these people and predestined and called and justified them, all done without the choices or willingness of other people to repent and yield their lives to God’s control. Since this is the case, they argue, why would God blame anyone for not making it to heaven?
Brethren, we need to never forget that the devil is wise in his ways and will never cease to point to portions of the Bible that seem to justify his position. The Bible makes it very clear in John chapter 1 verse 12:
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name
The Bible does not say to those who are foreknown or predestined, it says as many as received Him. The Bible does not say once the number has reached, 144,000, then the ship is full, or the gate is closed.
Also remember John 3:16, 18:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
There is no limitation to the number of people who are saved or will be saved by God; Jesus died for the whole world! He did not die for a particular number of people or a particular nation; He died for all because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The wages of sin, the Bible says, is death, but the gift of God is life eternal.
If you are being deceived into believing that you are wasting your time wanting to go to heaven, please come out of any group or team or community that is deceiving you. Such groups are basically harvesting millions of people for the devil. Don’t ever forget that God loves you and Jesus meant it when He said that He was going to prepare a place for us and will come back to take us there with Him. Accepting Jesus Christ is not based on election, it is based on everyone’s free will. Please open your eyes and reject every contrary opinion, no matter who is propagating it. Have a blessed week!
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PLEASE ACT NOW:
If you are yet to give your life to Christ, you do not have a covenant with God and His promises do not apply to you. To come under these promises, please surrender your life to Christ today, by praying this prayer:
Lord I know that I am a sinner and I am unable to save myself. I am sorry for my sins and I pray that you please forgive me. I am aware that Your Son Jesus died for my sins and I accept Him as my Lord and savior. I surrender my life unto you from this moment. Please take control of my entire being and help me to be obedient to your Word, going forward. Thank you, Lord, for hearing me. I have prayed in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you prayed the foregoing prayer, you have just been born again. Please find a Bible believing church in your area and ask to see the pastor. Let him or her know that you have just given your life to Christ and s/he will guide you on next steps in your journey as a child of God. The Lord bless you!
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