Pastor Mike Hurst
10/19/14
- II Peter 1:4-8
- II Peter 1:9-15
Better than Cash Back Rewards
Temptation will be with us until the day we die. We are going to stumble from time to time. We will slip and say or do something that we as Christians know is wrong. How we respond when we fall will determine how close we subsequently stay to God. If we learn to ask forgiveness and realize where we fall short we are less likely to repeat these mistakes in the future. When we choose to not ask for forgiveness, or we choose to ignore we have stumbled, this action becomes a pattern and the distance between God and Yourself will continue to grow.
Once you are truly saved you will not lose your salvation, but our actions as a Christian will determine how abundant our entrance into Heaven will be. As we lose our focus on Heaven and focus more on earthly criteria, we are essentially trading stored rewards in Heaven for temporary rewards here. Even if you gain what you seek and live for 100 years, what is 100 years with a desired reward when compared to an eternity in Heaven? Everyone will be happy in Heaven but some will be more rewarded than others. Being a diligent Christian here often takes hard work and sacrifice. But again, what is 100 years of hard work and sacrifice compared to an eternity of being “one of the wealthy” in Heaven?