TODAY’S DEVOTION (THURSDAY 26TH MAY 2022)
Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”
But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”
Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:39-43 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 146TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF AMAZING GRACE
The LORD has been so good to us giving us another day to be alive and well. He has done us well and to Him be the glory.
Like I have always said, “it is easy to sleep but it takes a miracle to wake up.” For 146 days in this year alone we have slept and woke up several times. God has been so gracious to us by giving us sleep and waking us up. To Him belong the glory!
This morning we will be looking at some Bible Truths on Heaven worthiness.
In my view, this is one of the most important truths to consider as a human being. In the light of eternity, our lives are like vapors that appear and vanish after a short period of time. It appears in time through conception in a woman’s womb, and vanishes into eternity to give account to its’ maker.
The Bible says we will give account of all we did with our Body. None of us should ever forget that.
The death of Christ has not cancelled any form of accountability in God’s kingdom nor the day of reckoning for any soul. Let no one deceive you. It only helped us in putting us in a position to come out victoriously at the end of time.
So, the matters of Heaven worthiness are very important to our souls.
But due to ignorance, so many do not know that Heaven worthiness is what we should fix our hearts on. The Bible calls it qualification. Qualification for Heaven on the final day is what we should look up to.
Let me share this with us. Few years ago, I was driving on one of the high ways in Abuja, and I saw so many vehicles stopped by our Vehicle inspection officers. They were checking the road worthiness of the cars.
They checked the sound of the engine, the quality of the tyres against their expiry dates, the look of the car, and everything according to the standards set by the government.
Many cars were found wanting as a result and taken out of the expressway, but it was not without drama.
THERE WERE CAR OWNERS WHO TRIED TO BRIBE THEIR WAY OUT BUT IT NEVER WORKED.
The officers were more interested in saving lives than serving themselves. Others put up serious arguments saying the officers were wrong that their cars were okay, and it seemed so because the cars looked okay by their personal standards.
But the officers humbly told them “there is a standard for every vehicle that should ply the expressway. Your car is not worthy to be driven through the expressway.”
I drew a moral lesson here on Heaven worthiness. God has standards. I will not go to Heaven by my standards but by God’s standards.
The drama continued and Some became angrier and more started threatening to sue the government. But none of that worked because the standard was not to be compromised. The vehicles where taken to the offices of the inspection officers and dumped where such vehicles are kept.
This is true of our journey here on earth. If we do not make use of the Bible, the Holy Spirit, a good Church and our Will to live and die Heaven worthy, we will be dumped in hell when we die. There are no two ways about it.
The Bible spoke of the broad way that leads to death and the narrow way that leads to life. If we are to make Heaven, we must follow the narrow way, but it takes Heaven worthy men and women to be in the narrow way not hell worthy men and women.
Sadly, many of us even in Church today are becoming hell worthy on daily bases, because of the absent of a constant dealing of God in our lives. Our Christianity has no foundation, hence the decay.
The Scriptures define hell worthy people in so many verses of the
Bible. One of it says;
“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.” Revelation 22:14-15 NKJV
This scripture presents Heaven worthy people as those who do the Commandments of the LORD and hell worthy people as dogs.
Now, this is not Apostle Takim calling people dogs. This is the Bible, so when you hear the word on my lips do not say am ungodly. Am just repeating what the Bible says about some of us that call ourselves Christians. If I were the one that describe these people as dogs, they will say I am this and that.
BUT WHAT SHOULD WE SAY TO GOD, FOR CALLING PEOPLE DOGS? ARE WE TO SAY HE IS USING UNGODLY TERMS?
The role of a preacher is to repeat what God said in His word to the ears of men as propelled by the Holy Ghost. When God use a man to call people dogs because of what they may be doing, He is not being ungodly because God cannot be ungodly. The Bible call any of us who go back to a life of sin after giving our lives to Christ dogs.
So, the word presented hell worthy people as dogs, sorcerers – both in Church and outside the Church, the sexually immoral people – in and outside the church, murderers and idolaters, and whoever love and practice a lie, either in church or outside the Church.
We have so many sorcerers on the pulpit today. They are Heaven unworthy according to this scripture and are deceiving so many people, pulling them along to hell.
We have so many sexually immoral preachers, church members, and etc. They are not Heaven worthy according to this scripture.
We have murderers – those who ask that other should die, those who sponsor the killings of others, or instigate it, and those who kill. The Bible is clear that if you take the life of others in any way you are not Heaven worthy.
In the light of this scripture, No politician who has ever killed is Heaven worthy; except they repent and restitute. No one who takes the life of another is Heaven worthy. The Bible says so!
That scripture also said those who are idolaters are not Heaven worthy.
There are people who still bow to other gods and worship them. The Bible says they are not Heaven worthy, no matter what their religion teaches them. But for us in the Church, we practice a different form of Idolatry.
We become Idolaters when we begin to lift our passion for things higher than our passion for God. That is one thing that makes us Heaven unworthy! Jesus rebuke Peter calling him Satan just because of that. That is what I call Christian Idolatry. It is when we become mindful of the things of men instead of the things of God.
It also said those who love and practice a lie are not Heaven worthy.
What does it mean to love a lie or to practice a lie? The word lie is a word that captures whatever is false that is presented as true, or what is not of the Truth presented as truth. It is a word that captures a dishonest action or deed.
To practice it means to apply it or use it, either as a method or a way of preventing something or gaining advantage.
NOW, IS THERE ANYONE WHO DOES NOT PRACTICE LIES? MANY OF US DO, VERY FEW OF US DO NOT!
That should tell us why many are Heaven unworthy but appear to be. Husbands lie to their wives, wives lie to their husbands, employees lie to their bosses, bosses lie to employer. People who go out for marketing lie to sale their products. They mis-represent facts and figures and exaggerates.
These things are signs of Heaven unworthiness.
When you become Heaven worthy, their will be no longer lies on your lips. Jesus said this of one of those Heaven worthy Bible men He met when He was physically on earth; “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” (John 1:47 NKJV)
Heaven worthiness takes away the ability to lie from us among many other sinful tendencies, and bring us to the place of being a spiritual Israelite indeed in whom there is no deceit.
Yes, Practical Christianity involves a life of no deceit. There will be no covering up to save your face, gain advantage or prevent trouble, like people will say.
Sadly, I have even found people who appear dedicated and innocent practicing lies. That is why I caution even those working with me not to tell even one lie for any reason. It makes one Heaven unworthy. And most are coming to the knowledge of the truth.
However, there are Christians who no matter what you teach, preach or say, by nature slip into lying from time to time; mostly to cover up something they do not want to be made known. It just happens automatically. These ones are in grave danger. It means the work of grace has not be accomplished in their lives and they are very Heaven unworthy.
I have come to realize that the first sign that one is Heaven worthy is being truthful. That is what leads to one confessing their sins. That is what leads to pouring oneself before God and saying “have mercy upon me, oh LORD, for I am a sinner.”
THAT WAS WHAT THE TAX COLLECTOR HAD WHICH THE PHARISEE NEVER HAD.
The Bible says;
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:10-14 NKJV
Being truthful is a sign of humility. It is a sign that you tremble at the word of the LORD. When you are humble you accept truth. The tax collector was humble hence being truthful with his spiritual state; a major sign of an encounter with the LORD. He left that prayer room Heaven worthy, or justified. While the Pharisee left the place hell worthy, or unjustified.
I submit to us this morning that the first thing that happens when you become Heaven worthy is you will no longer practice any lie. And the first thing that happens when you become Heaven unworthy is you will begin to practice lies. That is the truth!
Our devotional text is about the thief on the cross who became Heaven worthy few minutes to his death. It was a great escape from eternal damnation. A favor only few do have. It says;
Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”
But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”
Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:39-43 NKJV
I SAID EARLIER THAT BEING TRUTHFUL IS A SIGN OF HUMILITY.
That it is a sign that you tremble at the word of the LORD. When you are humble you accept truth. You do not build a resistant against the truth in a moment of truth, especially a moment of truth that confronts your sinful life or erroneous living. If you are truthful you will accept the truth and align with God.
The two criminals who were crucified with the LORD where in their moment of truth. Everyone does face seven moments of truth in life before stepping out of this world. They come for the salvation or sanctification of our souls and the perfection or maturing of our spirits.
But it is what we do with the moments that determines how things turn out with us eternally. The criminal who became Heaven worthy just took advantage of his moment of truth to align with GOD. He became Heaven worthy in seconds because he had a heart that was ready to be honest with God and truthful to itself.
He had a heart of repentance. Hence not building a resistance against the truth like the other criminal.
Child of God as we bring this to a close, you must understand that practical Christianity is all about leading a Heaven worthy life on daily bases. Walking humbly before the eternal God, who will sit as the Judge of all on the final day, and making sure you have peace with Jesus Christ all the seconds, minutes, hours, days and years of your life.
It is my prayer that God will use these truths to keep building us up and giving us an inheritance among they that are sanctified! Amen.
LET THIS SCRIPTURE BE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION TO US TODAY
“And behold, I am coming speedily. Blessed (happy and to be envied) is he who observes and lays to heart and keeps the truths of the prophecy (the predictions, consolations, and warnings) contained in this [little] book.
And I, John, am he who heard and witnessed these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell prostrate before the feet of the messenger (angel) who showed them to me, to worship him.
But he said to me, Refrain! [You must not do that!] I am [only] a fellow servant along with yourself and with your brethren the prophets and with those who are mindful of and practice [the truths contained in] the messages of this book. Worship God!
And he [further] told me, Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book and make no secret of them, for the time when things are brought to a crisis and the period of their fulfilment is near.
He who is unrighteous (unjust, wicked), let him be unrighteous still; and he who is filthy (vile, impure), let him be filthy still; and he who is righteous (just, upright, in right standing with God), let him do right still; and he who is holy, let him be holy still.
Behold, I am coming soon, and I shall bring My wages and rewards with Me, to repay and render to each one just what his own actions and his own work merit. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last (the Before all and the End of all).
Blessed (happy and [c]to be envied) are those who cleanse their garments, that they may have the authority and right to [approach] the tree of life and to enter through the gates into the city.
[But] without are the dogs and those who practice sorceries (magic arts) and impurity [the lewd, adulterers] and the murderers and idolaters and everyone who loves and deals in falsehood (untruth, error, deception, cheating). Revelation 22:7-15 AMPC