LOVE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT INSTRUCTION – PART 1
Sakkie Parsons
Someone wrote to me and asked me the following that refers to this:
"I am a Christian, what more must I still do to get to Heaven?
And-
Explain your views regarding the understanding , “to live holy”.
In the letter that I sent out, which led to these questions, I wrote among other things:
“Some Christians would let you understand that – I repented and went through the water baptism – so my affairs are in order and I am on my way to heaven. I say, you have done the right thing but that alone will not get you to heaven’s gates.
Somebody else would perhaps add that, – you have to still speak in tongues too. I then answer that even if you should speak in tongues and then reiterate that you now are on the road to heaven, you are missing the mark completely.
Another person will perhaps add something more here and say, – you should repent, be baptized, speak in tongues and then do the works as well.
My answer is that it is also very important, but that it is also not going to bring you into heaven.
Another person will perhaps add, – that the one thing that you must include is that you should set a good example. With this some people understand that to set the right example; you need to keep a facade, by putting up the good Christian “show” all the time.”
In this writing, I will briefly deal with the first question as I see it, as the writing will be a bit long but I also will answer the other question as I see it.
The question once again:
“I am a Christian, what more must I still do to get into Heaven?”
I will then immediately begin to say that you and I as children of our Lord can do nothing to end up in Heaven. JESUS did everything at Calvary to make it possible for you and me to spend eternity with Him in Heaven.
EPH 2:4-6 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
You know, even after everything that Jesus did at Calvary that had to be done to get you and me eternally with Him in Heaven, Jesus still did not stop there, No!
He came to look for me and you and introduce Himself to us and asked us to accept Him as our Lord, Saviour and Redeemer.
REV 3:20-22
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”.
Therefore every true believer can testify:
1JOH 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.
It is then just here where satan’s wickedness takes effect in many people. To grow up in a Christian home or area and then sometimes taking a step or two further to what is expected from Christians, does not mean, according to me, that I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour and Redeemer.
Many people hear about the Christian faith, some already since childhood, but because they don’t really make a complete commitment to Jesus, many of these people just go through the motions of being a Christian, to try and fool or manipulate the people around them, and yes, even our Lord.
We here in South Africa are a good example of what I have just said. 70% of the people in South Africa say that they are Christians yet we are one of the countries with the highest crime rates in the world. 70% of us say that we are Christians and yet, contrary to what Jesus shows us for example in the parable of the good Samaritan, most of us choose who we want to call our fellowman and we grant evil right, in that way, to look down at certain people; especially with some of us, if the other people are not the same colour as us.
You see –
To know about Jesus is not to know Jesus Himself.
I know about somebody but I don’t know him personally.
In my opinion a very high percentage of these supposed 70% Christians in South Africa use, no, actually I must say, abuse Christianity, to the advantage of satan, while they are actually not Christians themselves.
I mention two examples for you:
I know a man.
He was in prison and according to him he was converted there and to prove it, he had theological certificates which he obtained through studies in the prison. I know because I helped him to get work when he was released from prison.
But he once again started his dishonest activities, I discovered later.
He only used Christianity, I discovered, to get parole as quickly as possible.
Another example:
A lady, I think she was the secretary of this man whom I wrote about, wrote to me about he following, as I still remember:
“He is an elder in the church and he gives and does really a lot for charity. Yet he is very hard and ruthless with us.
He alone is always right and he is hardly ever friendly with us. Its really difficult to work with him.”
This man, it seems to me, abuses Christianity to gain respect from his family and friends.
Jesus mentions this on one occasion:
MAT 7:21-23
21 Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.’”
I also experienced in my life –
*That there are people who serve our Lord because they desire to go to Heaven.
*There are people who serve our Lord because they want to so that our Lord can bless them in many ways.
*There are people who serve our Lord, because they do not want to go to hell.
*There are people who serve our Lord, because they are scared God will punish them.
Do you know what the terrible sadness is in the four examples that I just mentioned?
It is all about them and the lack of love for our Lord and their fellowman and its not really something that they actually think about.
Many of these people go to their graves with the conviction from satan, that they are on their way to Heaven with this way of living but do you remember the words of Jesus? I repeat this from the Old Translation:
MAT 7:21-23
21 Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity!
To me, to be a Christian, as far as this life concerns, revolves around love for our Lord and our fellowman.
It is delightful for me if I can do something for my wife, and I never think about what is in it for me. Because I love her unconditionally.
To me it is an example of a true and sincere intimate love affair..
I accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour and Redeemer.
I now serve Him, because I love him. I love Him so much, that to me, it is wonderful to be His servant.
1COR 7:22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.
And then to sum up, about the question:
“I am a Christian, what must I still do to go to Heaven?”
You accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Redeemer.
Jesus has already done everything for you and me that had to be done to get us into Heaven with Him.
Now, it seems to me, to be a Christian, everything revolves around love. Love for my Lord and love for my fellowman.
From here, because we are human beings, we should constantly keep working at it, from this side, and fortunately it is only from our side, like any romantic relationship, because from the side of Jesus, His love is always perfect –
We should always ensure for example that our motives and actions in our romantic relationship with our Lord, is honest and sincere.
Because Jesus said on occasion:
JOHN 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
JOHN 4:24 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
As you will see in my next writing to you, as I understand it, it is all about holiness after I truly accepted Jesus as my Saviour and Redeemer.
1PET 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.
HEB 12:14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
The Old Translation states it like this:
HEB 12:14 14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
Which, as I see it, serves as a starting point in the law of love for you and me, namely:
MAT 22:37-40
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
So, for now, if I pretend to be poetic, I leave you with this thought:
That in our lives you and I will talk
According to the faith in which we say we walk.
Greetings,
Sakkie