| Spiritual Fiction posted June 7, 2013 |
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Heaven will hold a big surprise for forgetful Christians.
The Big Surprise
by Deniz22
“Welcome!”
“Umm, thanks. Where am I?”
“Heaven, your eternal home.”
“Heaven? Me? Are you sure?”
“You trusted Christ as your Savior, did you not?”
“Well, yes, I guess I did. But that was a long time ago, when I was a child in the Baptist Vacation Bible School.”
“Your name is written right here, in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”
“But you don’t understand. I was only a boy and we moved right after Vacation Bible School closed. My mother and father split and went in different directions. I went with my mother.”
“I know all that; what is it you think I don’t understand?”
“Well, I know Christians are supposed to live for God…be “different", you know?”
“I assure you, I know.”
“Well, I didn’t”
“Didn’t what?”
“Didn’t live for God.”
“You should have.”
“I know, I know.”
“Christ has loved you ever since you trusted Him for salvation, and He intended for you to follow Him in your earthly life.”.
“I guess that pretty much sums it up. Now you can see it’s a great mistake for me to be in Heaven. So where’s the elevator down to Hell? I'm getting what I deserve."
“Hold on! You are confused about Heavenly things now just as you were on earth! There are NO mistakes in Heaven and no one is here because they did something to deserve this wonderful place.”
“You mean I’m NOT going to Hell after all?”
“No, Christ died for all your sins to keep you out of Hell and bring you to be with Him in Heaven. Only He could be a perfect sacrifice because He never sinned once. Then when you trusted in Him, you were born-again, a forever child of the Living God.”
“I thought I lost that because I didn’t live for Him.”
“It’s important to know that Christians are saved by grace so that they can live for Him freely, not to gain a salvation already given to them. Then they can serve out of love as He did, secure in His Father’s love.”
“I wish I knew that back on earth. I was really confused about this. I often went to bed fearful and I couldn’t seem to break free of my sinful life style.”
“God knows exactly how much truth was available to you as a Christian and will take that into account at the Judgment.”
“Oh-oh! Here we go! So after the Judgment, then I go to Hell, maybe not forever, but to get some sin burned away? Like…um…like Purgatory! Yeah, that’s what I hope happens. Then I’ll still make it to Heaven!”
“You are not really listening, just as you often didn’t on earth. Now pay attention: you are already in Heaven by virtue of your admittedly puny faith in Christ. You are never going to Hell.
There is no Purgatory because Christ’s blood has paid for all sin already.It’s true your faith never grew as it should have, but Christ does not break His Word even to a little boy though that boy grew to be a man who forgot God.”
“That’s tremendous! I’m sorry I didn’t understand better and listen and serve God. But what about this "Judgment" you mentioned?
“OK, this Judgment is only for born-again believers. It’s called the Judgment seat of Christ. Anyone going there, like you, is already saved forever by God’s grace, operative in Christ alone.”
“This is sounding better and better!”
“Yes! Christ Himself will be the Judge and this judgment will actually be an evaluation of service done for Him on earth by Christians. Rewards, in the form of golden crowns, will be given out for faithful, properly motivated works, done in His Spirit, to His glory.”
“Wait a minute! I can’t remember doing anything for Him while on earth. What will happen in my case?”
“As the scripture says, some will ‘suffer loss of reward while their unworthy works will be burned up’. However, God’s memory is better than yours or any human. Christ said that He would reward even the simple act of giving a cup of cold water in His name.”
.
“Even so, I’m sure it won’t be a very happy time in the reward department for yours truly.”
“Yes, ‘suffering loss of reward’ will no doubt cause tears even in Heaven as you think back on missed opportunities to love and serve the One who loved you even unto death.”
“I’m already weeping as I think how foolish I was in my weak response to the Son of God on earth!”
“Yes, I understand. However, God is the God of all grace and has promised to wipe away all tears in Heaven.”
“By the way, what do the “winners” do with those golden crowns? Wear them all the time in Heaven so people will now how well they did?”
“Far from it! Those who win those crowns will cast them in voluntary tribute at the feet of the King of kings and the Lord of lords, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God!”
.
“Welcome!”
“Umm, thanks. Where am I?”
“Heaven, your eternal home.”
“Heaven? Me? Are you sure?”
“You trusted Christ as your Savior, did you not?”
“Well, yes, I guess I did. But that was a long time ago, when I was a child in the Baptist Vacation Bible School.”
“Your name is written right here, in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”
“But you don’t understand. I was only a boy and we moved right after Vacation Bible School closed. My mother and father split and went in different directions. I went with my mother.”
“I know all that; what is it you think I don’t understand?”
“Well, I know Christians are supposed to live for God…be “different", you know?”
“I assure you, I know.”
“Well, I didn’t”
“Didn’t what?”
“Didn’t live for God.”
“You should have.”
“I know, I know.”
“Christ has loved you ever since you trusted Him for salvation, and He intended for you to follow Him in your earthly life.”.
“I guess that pretty much sums it up. Now you can see it’s a great mistake for me to be in Heaven. So where’s the elevator down to Hell? I'm getting what I deserve."
“Hold on! You are confused about Heavenly things now just as you were on earth! There are NO mistakes in Heaven and no one is here because they did something to deserve this wonderful place.”
“You mean I’m NOT going to Hell after all?”
“No, Christ died for all your sins to keep you out of Hell and bring you to be with Him in Heaven. Only He could be a perfect sacrifice because He never sinned once. Then when you trusted in Him, you were born-again, a forever child of the Living God.”
“I thought I lost that because I didn’t live for Him.”
“It’s important to know that Christians are saved by grace so that they can live for Him freely, not to gain a salvation already given to them. Then they can serve out of love as He did, secure in His Father’s love.”
“I wish I knew that back on earth. I was really confused about this. I often went to bed fearful and I couldn’t seem to break free of my sinful life style.”
“God knows exactly how much truth was available to you as a Christian and will take that into account at the Judgment.”
“Oh-oh! Here we go! So after the Judgment, then I go to Hell, maybe not forever, but to get some sin burned away? Like…um…like Purgatory! Yeah, that’s what I hope happens. Then I’ll still make it to Heaven!”
“You are not really listening, just as you often didn’t on earth. Now pay attention: you are already in Heaven by virtue of your admittedly puny faith in Christ. You are never going to Hell.
There is no Purgatory because Christ’s blood has paid for all sin already.It’s true your faith never grew as it should have, but Christ does not break His Word even to a little boy though that boy grew to be a man who forgot God.”
“That’s tremendous! I’m sorry I didn’t understand better and listen and serve God. But what about this "Judgment" you mentioned?
“OK, this Judgment is only for born-again believers. It’s called the Judgment seat of Christ. Anyone going there, like you, is already saved forever by God’s grace, operative in Christ alone.”
“This is sounding better and better!”
“Yes! Christ Himself will be the Judge and this judgment will actually be an evaluation of service done for Him on earth by Christians. Rewards, in the form of golden crowns, will be given out for faithful, properly motivated works, done in His Spirit, to His glory.”
“Wait a minute! I can’t remember doing anything for Him while on earth. What will happen in my case?”
“As the scripture says, some will ‘suffer loss of reward while their unworthy works will be burned up’. However, God’s memory is better than yours or any human. Christ said that He would reward even the simple act of giving a cup of cold water in His name.”
.
“Even so, I’m sure it won’t be a very happy time in the reward department for yours truly.”
“Yes, ‘suffering loss of reward’ will no doubt cause tears even in Heaven as you think back on missed opportunities to love and serve the One who loved you even unto death.”
“I’m already weeping as I think how foolish I was in my weak response to the Son of God on earth!”
“Yes, I understand. However, God is the God of all grace and has promised to wipe away all tears in Heaven.”
“By the way, what do the “winners” do with those golden crowns? Wear them all the time in Heaven so people will now how well they did?”
“Far from it! Those who win those crowns will cast them in voluntary tribute at the feet of the King of kings and the Lord of lords, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God!”
.
“Umm, thanks. Where am I?”
“Heaven, your eternal home.”
“Heaven? Me? Are you sure?”
“You trusted Christ as your Savior, did you not?”
“Well, yes, I guess I did. But that was a long time ago, when I was a child in the Baptist Vacation Bible School.”
“Your name is written right here, in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”
“But you don’t understand. I was only a boy and we moved right after Vacation Bible School closed. My mother and father split and went in different directions. I went with my mother.”
“I know all that; what is it you think I don’t understand?”
“Well, I know Christians are supposed to live for God…be “different", you know?”
“I assure you, I know.”
“Well, I didn’t”
“Didn’t what?”
“Didn’t live for God.”
“You should have.”
“I know, I know.”
“Christ has loved you ever since you trusted Him for salvation, and He intended for you to follow Him in your earthly life.”.
“I guess that pretty much sums it up. Now you can see it’s a great mistake for me to be in Heaven. So where’s the elevator down to Hell? I'm getting what I deserve."
“Hold on! You are confused about Heavenly things now just as you were on earth! There are NO mistakes in Heaven and no one is here because they did something to deserve this wonderful place.”
“You mean I’m NOT going to Hell after all?”
“No, Christ died for all your sins to keep you out of Hell and bring you to be with Him in Heaven. Only He could be a perfect sacrifice because He never sinned once. Then when you trusted in Him, you were born-again, a forever child of the Living God.”
“I thought I lost that because I didn’t live for Him.”
“It’s important to know that Christians are saved by grace so that they can live for Him freely, not to gain a salvation already given to them. Then they can serve out of love as He did, secure in His Father’s love.”
“I wish I knew that back on earth. I was really confused about this. I often went to bed fearful and I couldn’t seem to break free of my sinful life style.”
“God knows exactly how much truth was available to you as a Christian and will take that into account at the Judgment.”
“Oh-oh! Here we go! So after the Judgment, then I go to Hell, maybe not forever, but to get some sin burned away? Like…um…like Purgatory! Yeah, that’s what I hope happens. Then I’ll still make it to Heaven!”
“You are not really listening, just as you often didn’t on earth. Now pay attention: you are already in Heaven by virtue of your admittedly puny faith in Christ. You are never going to Hell.
There is no Purgatory because Christ’s blood has paid for all sin already.It’s true your faith never grew as it should have, but Christ does not break His Word even to a little boy though that boy grew to be a man who forgot God.”
“That’s tremendous! I’m sorry I didn’t understand better and listen and serve God. But what about this "Judgment" you mentioned?
“OK, this Judgment is only for born-again believers. It’s called the Judgment seat of Christ. Anyone going there, like you, is already saved forever by God’s grace, operative in Christ alone.”
“This is sounding better and better!”
“Yes! Christ Himself will be the Judge and this judgment will actually be an evaluation of service done for Him on earth by Christians. Rewards, in the form of golden crowns, will be given out for faithful, properly motivated works, done in His Spirit, to His glory.”
“Wait a minute! I can’t remember doing anything for Him while on earth. What will happen in my case?”
“As the scripture says, some will ‘suffer loss of reward while their unworthy works will be burned up’. However, God’s memory is better than yours or any human. Christ said that He would reward even the simple act of giving a cup of cold water in His name.”
.
“Even so, I’m sure it won’t be a very happy time in the reward department for yours truly.”
“Yes, ‘suffering loss of reward’ will no doubt cause tears even in Heaven as you think back on missed opportunities to love and serve the One who loved you even unto death.”
“I’m already weeping as I think how foolish I was in my weak response to the Son of God on earth!”
“Yes, I understand. However, God is the God of all grace and has promised to wipe away all tears in Heaven.”
“By the way, what do the “winners” do with those golden crowns? Wear them all the time in Heaven so people will now how well they did?”
“Far from it! Those who win those crowns will cast them in voluntary tribute at the feet of the King of kings and the Lord of lords, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God!”
.
 Recognized |
This is a fictional piece written to show that whoever trusts Christ is saved forever even if they don't grow in grace.
In reality, every Christian will go immediately into the Presence of Jesus Christ when they die or are Raptured. When we see Him, we will be like Him and know, even as we are known.
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. In reality, every Christian will go immediately into the Presence of Jesus Christ when they die or are Raptured. When we see Him, we will be like Him and know, even as we are known.
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