Salvation is not just about believing in Jesus Christ, it is a journey. Jesus invites everybody to follow Him and have eternal life, but very few stay with Jesus and endure with Him until the end. It requires PERSISTENCE and DILIGENCE to stay with Jesus until the end. You will have to use all your strength and you will have to hang on to Jesus for dear life, because without Him you will not be able to make it.
Your journey with Jesus starts when you accept Him as you Lord and Master, and from then onwards you have to submit to Him and obey Him, every step of the way, until the end. Nobody can snatch you out of His hand, but if you decide to leave Him or disobeying Him, He will not stop you. Jesus will not accommodate your opinion, your preferences or feelings. You either obey and follow Him or you part ways with Him, in which case, you are heading for destruction. You cannot follow Jesus if you do not absolutely trust and obey Him.
First you have to REPENT and BE BAPTIZED. To repent means to TURN from SIN and from your previous way of living, going after your selfish desires, ambitions and the pleasures of sin. You cannot follow Jesus if you are still going after those things. You have to give up your rights and privileges of self-determination. You have to totally submit to Jesus and DIE to SELF so that you can LIVE FOR Jesus and follow Him. Once you have REPENTED you have to be baptized in water for the remission, the cancellation of debt, of your past sins. You cannot follow Jesus, if you have not been baptized for the remission of your sins. Then you have to live holy and sin no more.
You have to live in obedience to the teachings and commandments of Jesus, HIS WORDS, as they were also recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Jesus promised the baptism in the Holy Spirit to those who wish to follow Him and have therefor obeyed Him, repented and been baptized. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, will come and dwell IN THEM and GUIDE them so that they can FOLLOW Jesus and DO what He requires of them, the WORKS that He has prepared for them to do. You cannot follow Jesus, if you have not received the Holy Spirit. “Those who are being led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Romans 8:14.
If we wish to follow Jesus and have eternal life, WE have to continuously SEEK Him in PRAYER. We have to seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit so that we can experience the indwelling presence and guidance of Jesus, through the Holy Spirit in us. We have to live holy and reserve ourselves to Jesus. If we should sin and disobey Him, we will GRIEVE the Holy Spirit and He might stop speaking to us. We have to seek His guidance and obey Him. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6.
Our faith will be tested. Our loyalty to Jesus will be tested. Our obedience and perseverance will be tested. We have to be persistent in all circumstances and never give up, no matter what our circumstances are. We must be faithful in our devotion to Jesus, praying, seeking Him, keep our mind on Him, expecting Him. Listening to Him and staying tuned in to Him. He will fill us with His thoughts as we desire and yearn for Him. He will not force Himself on us. We have to diligently seek Him, trust in Him, expect Him, even though things around us do not look favorable or do not work out as we hoped or expected..
Jesus will always be with us. He will not leave us, even in sickness, pain, misfortune, disappointment, heartbreak, sadness, Jesus is there. If we stay focused on Him, we will recognize His hand and hear His voice. He will teach and guide us in many ways. Often things will not work out the way that we hoped or expected. Keep trusting Him. He knows what He is doing, and He makes all things work together for good, for those who love Him and seek Him, because they are called for His purpose. He will give us understanding and wisdom, if we stay with Him. He will give us the power to endure and pass every test so that we can win the prize of eternal life in the end.
We need to be persistent, diligent and obedient, never give up. Endure until the end. There is a prize for over-comers. We have to stay with Jesus until the end, because without Him, we cannot make it. Without Jesus, we can do nothing.
Have you started the journey, following Jesus? Are you following and obeying every day? Are you persistent and diligent, seeking and doing His will? Do you still have the hope of eternal life?
May Jesus bless you.
finalcall07 