Staying True to the Lord

Many begin the walk with Jesus Christ, but many will not finish it (John 6:66). The Devil must be given his due because he has done a remarkable job deceiving mankind, causing them to lose their souls to the lure of the world (2 Corinthians 4:3-4; 2 Timothy 4:10; 2 John 2:15-17; 1 Peter 5:8).

This is painful to know because the faithful want to convert as many as possible, but Jesus has made it clear that only a few will make it to heaven, so most will be in hell (Matthew 7:13-14).

Being in the world with its temptations is hard on those who haven’t repented and turned their backs on the works of the flesh. This is a lifestyle that so many of the devil’s children are enjoying. And yes, feeling good in Satan’s arms might be cozy for the time being, but it will not last because when reality appears one will see that he has given salvation away for damnation (Matt. 25:46).

One could gain the whole world, and lose his soul and no amount of money or possessions is worth spending eternality in Hell. But we can save our souls from the fires of hell, and I would like to share some things from the word of God as to how this can be done.

Watch and Pray

Yes, this is what Jesus told His disciples as they struggled to stay awake and watch Him in prayer (Matt. 26:41; Luke 22:46). Their mind was willing to obey their Lord’s command, but their bodies were weak. And it is the same with men today. Many want to follow Jesus, but their flesh fails them and to this I urge that we heed Jesus advise. He said to “WATCH” which implies that we be alert and clear in mind realizing that at any given moment we could be attacked by Satan. The Christian must remain focused and alert because one slip can ruin a life forever. The Devil need to be precise only once, but the Christian must be precise always. Practice being ready, keep your thoughts on God and your hands doing His work every moment and pretty soon, it will be common for you. “PRAYER” is what we all need because without the strength which comes from the Lord, we could do nothing (Philippians 4:13). God is willing to lift up our heavy hands, ease our sore feet and calm our darkest fears, but we must prove our faith in His power by asking of Him. God will pour out the ability for the willing person to accomplish His will, but remember we must prove that we want to serve Him (James 4:8).

Spend Much Time with Christians

When a person has no interaction with those of like, precious faith, the question arises. Just who does the person have relationships with?

If a person comes to church only on Sunday morning and doesn’t see Christians until the next Sunday morning, that existence is dangerous and probably on borrowed time. The person is spending over 90 percent of his time with non believers and they are no help for the salvation of that Christian’s soul. The member will most likely be worldly and easily influenced by all the worldly people he is seeing though the week. And when Satan is ready, that person will be easy picking. Saul, after he was baptized, knew where he needed to be and that was with other Christians, and to other Christians he went (Acts 9:19,26-27). When with others who desire to go to heaven, a person is in good company and will receive strength and instruction which will help him in daily struggles. Take advantage of this blessing (Acts 2:44).

Study the Bible Everyday

The word of God is food to the soul and it is to be looked upon like feasting on everyday meals (Hebrews 6:5; 1 Peter 2:2-3). You don’t want to miss a meal, so don’t let a day go by when your head isn’t in the book.

By studying the word of God one will have a understanding of what is right and what is wrong (John 8:31-32). One will know what answer to give on things which pertain to the salvation of man (2 Tim. 4:1-5). Also the study of the word of God keeps man knowledgable about Christ (John 5:39). Otherwise, one becomes ignorant about the Lord.

Attend Church

One of the best ways to recognize faithful people is to take notice of how often they attend church. Caring for what God wants is only done by those who wish to please Him and spend time with Him on the day which He commanded, which is the first day of the week (Matt. 18:20). At church the things that God demands, like the communion and the collection are carried out on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1-4). A person who claims to love God, but refuses to go to church is a liar, for the word of God said a person is known by their works and people who don’t want to attend church, definitely don’t love the Lord (Matt. 7:20; Hebrews 10:25; John 14:14, 15:14). Keep yourselves in church, you will learn and be where God wants you to be and not outside with the hell bound people.

Conclusion

Making it to heaven is just like anything else that requires upkeep—you have to maintain it. Are you up for the task? Do you want to escape the fires of hell and spend eternality with Jesus Christ? If so, work out your own soul salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12).

​~James Baker