What if you had everything, but you didn't have the only thing you need? (Audio Adrenaline) "For what will it profit a man if he gain the whole world and loses his own soul? (Mark 8:36) "And He said to them, 'Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.'" (Luke 12:15) "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to the flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." (Galatians 6:7-9)
We are all born of the flesh which is of a natural parent through physical birth, but spiritually dead to God (through Adam who brought sin and death) until we are "born again" (through Jesus who brought righteousness and resurrection and who conquered death). "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." (Romans 5:12) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23) Jesus said to Nicodemus "that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit". (John 3:3-6) Don't try to meet God's holiness and inherit the kingdom of God on your own terms (your own religion or your parent's religion)....... We are unworthy sinners who deserve nothing good except by coming to the Father through Jesus Christ. Jesus said "He who comes to me I will in No wise cast out." YOU SAY YOU BELIEVE? Even the demons believe and shudder. True belief is not enough, your belief and faith demands a response-----> "Then Peter said to them, 'Repent and let everyone one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" (Acts 2:38).......THINK ABOUT IT..... "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:44) "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:25) "For whosoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what advantage is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels." (Luke 9:24-26) "For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." (Luke 9:56) "Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God." (Luke 12:8-9) "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved." (Ephesians 1:3-6)
So now that you have gotten past your idolatry or your self-righteousness or your hardness of heart, and you are going to step out of darkness into His marvelous light....do you think it is going to be easy? Then why do we need "above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one"? (Read about putting on all of the armor of God in Ephesians 6:11-18) And why do you think the world (unsaved) and satan's disciples will treat you any differently than Christ, your Lord?..... "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:11-12) "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there be many that go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matthew 7:13-14) "Do not come to think that I have come to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." (Matthew 10:34) Yes, Jesus came to bring us internal peace within our spirit and reconciliation with God (the kingdom of God is within you), but the sword which is the Word of God (Read Ephesians 6:11-18) is a divider of persons on this earth....there IS spiritual warfare on this earth....Whose army are you in? Bob Dylan had a song out "you're gonna have to serve somebody, well it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody" Choose this day who you will serve....