Are you ready for eternity?
Matthew 6:19–21 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Ephesians 2:8-10 "By grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them."
Salvation comes by faith in Jesus Christand is afree gift from God, not from doing works. But as a child of God, we do the works that Christ has commanded us to do. Grace means "unmerited favor." It is God doing good for someone who does not deserve it. God is gracious, full of mercy, love, and kindness, therefore, He has reached out through His Son Jesus Christ to save us. The word "saved" emphasizes what has been done for us. We do not save ourselves by our works, God saves us. Before God saved us, we were dead--completely cut off from God, under the devil's control, and doomed as sinners facing God's judgment. His grace brought us from death to life. We must have faithto receive God's gracious offer of salvation. Notice that we are God's workmanship. It means "a work of art, a master piece." In Christ, we receive God's grace through our faith and become His work of art. We are God's workmanship to do His good works. God has saved us to serve.
James 2:14, 17-18, 24 & 26 "What does it profit if a man says he has faith, and has no works? Faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone. A man may say you have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You see then that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."
James is giving a very specific teaching that so-called "faith" which does not result in good works is phony. At no point does James require works to earn salvation, or to keep it. Rather, James points out that what we do is the result of what we truly believe. Simply claiming to have faith in Christ is meaningless; saving faith is a faith which results in action. The works a person does are the proof of the nature of their faith. Saving faith produces works, and those without works fail to show evidence that they are saved. At no point does James disconnect salvation from faith. On the contrary, this entire passage is about the fact that we are only saved by faith—but while works do not save, those who are saved will, naturally, demonstrate good works. How one acts—their ''works''—are a sign of the kind of ''faith'' they possess. It is meaningless to believe, or ''wish,'' a poor person to be well, if such an opinion leads to no action. James never says that faith is not essential for salvation. He never claims works are required to obtain or keep salvation. He is, however, crystal clear that truly saving faith cannot be separated from the evidence of good works.
Colossians 1:9-10 "We do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; So that you will walk worthy of the Lord … being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God."
Matthew 5:16 "Let your light shine before men, so they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
John 9:4 "I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day: the night (Tribulation) comes, when no man can work."
1 Corinthians 15:58 "Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord."
Luke 9:23 "Take up your cross daily, and follow Me."
1 Timothy 6:18-19 "Be rich in good works."
Garments of Salvation
The Robe of Righteousness
Revelation 3:4-5 "You have a few … who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment ... "
Revelation 3:21 "To him that overcomes, will I grant to sit with Me in My Throne."
Revelation 2:26-27 "He that overcomes, and keeps (does) my works to the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And He shall rule them with a rod of iron."
1 John 2:28 "Abide in Him; so that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His Coming."
Revelation 3:2 "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain ... "
Revelation 3:3 "If you do not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come ... Remember therefore how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent."
Revelation 3:18 "I counsel you to buy from Me gold tried in the fire: and white raiment, that you may be clothed, so that the shame of your nakedness do not appear (be seen by others); and anoint your eyes with eyesalve (The Word of God), that you may see."
Revelation 16:15 "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame."
Matthew 22:8-9 "Then said He to His servants, the Wedding is ready, but they who were invited are not worthy."
The Bride is always on continuous watch for the coming of the Bridegroom because she knows His Return is Imminent. The Bride keeps her spiritual garments of salvation and righteousness white with prayer and by obeying all His commandments.Take heed lest you be found walking with your garments defiled [polluted], and suddenly find that you have missed the Rapture. To miss the Rapture is the shame a person will feel when other people question why they are still here when they were expecting to be Raptured.
Psalm 27:5 "In the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion."
Matthew 16:27 "The Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every manaccording to his works."
Acts 10:34-36 "God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he [anyone] that fears Him, and works righteousness, is accepted with Him." [Man, Woman, or Child]
Romans 5:9 "Being now justified by His Blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him."
1 Corinthians 3:8 "Every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor."
1 Corinthians 3:13-15 "Every man's work shall be made manifest (revealed): for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work is burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."
1 Thessalonians 5:9 "God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ."
Revelation 3:8 & 10 "I know your works: Behold, I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it: for you have a little strength, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Because you have kept the word of My patience, [my command to persevere], I also will keep you from the hour of temptation [the Great Tribulation], which shall come upon all the world, to try [test] them that dwell on the earth."
Matthew 5:11-12 "Blessed are you, when men shall revile [insult or despise] you, and persecute [harass] you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My [Jesus] sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven."
Matthew 5:14,16 "You are the light of the world ... Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
Matthew 5:19 "Whosoever ... shall do and teach them (these commandments), the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
Promises Jesus Made to His Saints
The Bride and Wise Virgins
Isaiah 26:20-21"Come, My people, enter into your chambers, and shut your doors behind you: hide yourself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation [the Tribulation] is past. For, behold, the LORD comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity."
Isaiah 57:1-2 "The righteous perishes [disappears from the Earth], and no man layeth [ponders] it in their heart: and merciful men are taken away [Raptured to Heaven], none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come [the Tribulation]. He [the righteous] shall enter into peace: they shall rest ... each one walking in his uprightness."
The above verse is a beautiful description of the righteous being taken in the Rapture away from the evil Tribulation that will come upon the earth. The Saints are walking in Heaven in their “Garments of Salvation” and their “Robes of Righteousness”.
"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD...
For He has clothed me with the Garments of Salvation,
He has covered me with the Robe of Righteousness."
Isaiah 61:10
The Bride Keeps The Bridegrooms Commandments
Mark 12:30 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength: this is the first commandment. And the second(commandment) is this; You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Romans 13:10 "Love works no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."
John 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another."
Mark 16:15 "Jesus said, Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."
Proverbs 11:30 “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that wins souls is wise.”
"The Lord’s Coming is Near, Even at the Doors." Mark 13:29
“The Spirit and the Bride say, Come” Revelation 22:17