“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is
the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 15:56-57, Romans 6:23 NIV
Because of this world, we are sinners. (Romans 5:12; Romans 3:23) This means that we are all
condemned to death. “For the wages of sin
is death…” (Romans 6:23) Hence, God, our heavenly
Father (Ephesians 4:6) provided the way of life in the
truth (John 14:6) by sending His beloved Son into
the world as an image of Himself (Colossians 1:15) into the world (John 1:14) to crucify Himself as an
atonement of our sins. (Colossians 2:13-15; Hebrews 2:14-15) This is because of the
love of God!
For God so loved
the world [Garden of Eden – Genesis 1-2] that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For
God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the
world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does
not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name
of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18)
This is how God
showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we
might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved
us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4:9-10)
Therefore, if we want that eternal life
that our heavenly Father has provided for us—we must become followers of Jesus
Christ. This means we ought to commit our lives to Him, even though it is hard.
(Matthew 16:24-27) We also have to overcome
the world (1 John 5:1-5) to abide in the Spirit of God
fully to do the will of God. (John 14:15-17,26-27) This is because Jesus
declares: “Not everyone who says to me,
‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the
will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)
Do not love this
world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not
have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for
physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our
achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this
world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave.
But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. (1 John 2:15-17)
Therefore, I urge
you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a
living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing
of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his
good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2)
In other words, if we decide the eternal
kingdom of heaven will be our destination (Philippians 3:20-21, 2 Corinthians 5:1)—we
must forget the world and concentrate on the heaven only as well as doing the
righteous-living. (Matthew 6:33, Philippians 4:19)
Since, then, you
have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is,
seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly
things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ,
who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. So
whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. For
the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of
righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Colossians 3:1-4, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Romans 14:17)
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