Guess what. You were not saved by an absolutely amazing God simply so you could go to Heaven when you die.
What a waste that would be! If that were the only reason He saved you then why not just bring you to His side the moment you entered into a relationship with Him? Why wait?
Because, believer, you were saved for so much more than just a ticket to Heaven.
God’s plan is so much bigger than us and our individual salvation.
You were saved so you could be God’s representative on this planet.
You were saved so you could bring the Kingdom of God to Earth as you obey the King.
You were saved so you could cover this planet with His glory as your actions bring glory to God Most High.
You have a job to do and are apart of something far greater than you could ever imagine. God saved you not for yourself but for Himself; for His plan; for His glory; for His Name’s sake. Your life is important because your life should represent the Father in Heaven. Your actions matter because they either bring Him glory or they take His Name in vain. When you enter into covenant with God, through the faithfulness of Jesus, everything changes and you are supposed to live differently. You are supposed to act differently, dress differently, talk differently, and even sound different from the world around you. And it’s a difference that is attractive!
So, do your actions show Jesus? Do they show not only His grace but also His truth? Do they show not only His humility but also His teachings? Jesus obeyed His Father’s will in everything. He lived a life perfectly obedient to the commands set down in the Torah. He was perfect. You and I will never be perfect but that’s not the point. Is it your aim to be obedient? Are you growing in obedience to God? As the Rabbis put it, “Can you smoke less today than you did yesterday?”. Can you gossip less often? Lose your temper less often?
Believer, may we never fool ourselves into believing that perfection is the issue and heaven is all that matters. We have been saved by an amazing God for so much more than just ourselves. We have been called into the Kingdom of Heaven now so that we may serve the King of Heaven here on Earth. The question we need to daily ask ourselves is – are we obeying the King?
Right away?
All the way?
The joyful way?
He’s the King and it’s what He deserves.