Many Christians look forward to the return of Jesus. They look forward to the new heaven and the new earth, that will come. They expect to have eternal life and receive the inheritance in Jesus Christ after they die. Daar is baie Christene, who still consider themselves sinners. They think, that they have to carry the burden of sin, iniquity, skuld, and condemnation during their life on earth. They pray, read the Bible, go to church and do charity work for the church and community and live a Christian life and assume, that by doing these things, they are saved. They are led by their flesh; their feelings, emosies, thinking, and senses, en leef net soos die wêreld. They wait for the death, which will give them access to eternal life and their inheritance on the new heaven and the new earth. But will they receive what they expect or not? Why the new heaven and the new earth will not come for many believers?
Die Nuwe heaven and the new earth
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea (Openbaring 21:1)
Ongelukkig, the new heaven and the new earth will not come for many Christians. Instead of eternal life, they will receive eternal fire. The fire, which they should have received, during their lives upon his earth and would have given them access to eternal life and the new heaven and new earth.
During their lives on earth, they should have been purified and sanctified, by this holy fire.
Almal, who believe in Jesus, repent and make Jesus the Saviour and Lord of their lives (Saviour from their bondage as sinner, and their sinful nature, and Lord of their new spiritual nature: die nuwe skepping), en isgebore uit water en Gees, will be purified, and sanctified by the Word and by the fire of the Holy Spirit.
By the blood of Jesus Christ you have been made holy and righteous, and all your sins and iniquities from your former life have been forgiven and erased. But now this spiritual status must become visible in your life, and that happens through the process of sanctification.
The fire of the Holy Spirit is needed for the born again believer, to sanctify their lives and put off the works of the flesh (sonde en ongeregtigheid (Lees ook: ‘Wat is die doop met vuur?')).
Die Heilige Gees
Daar is baie Christene, who do not acknowledge the Holy Spirit as a Person, let alone His works. They consider the Holy Spirit as some kind of force, Energie, power or wind, that blows over people, and come and goes.
They do not believe in the baptism with the Holy Spirit and think it is weird to speak in other tongues, which they can’t comprehend. When they hear people speak in other tongues, they consider them weird, fuzzy, and foolish.
Ongelukkig, many Christians reject the baptism with the Holy Spirit. While this baptism is necessary to become the new creation and to walk after the Spirit. Without the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to become die nuwe skepping, let alone walk as the new creation after the Spirit.
Jesus is ons Voorbeeld
When we look at the life of Jesus, we see that Jesus was first baptized with water, and then baptized with the Holy Spirit. Jesus was the Firstborn of the new Creation (die nuwe Man); gebore uit water en Gees. Toe Jesus met die Heilige Gees gedoop is, the Holy Spirit led Him to the wilderness. Jesus spandeer 40 days in the wilderness Vas.
Why was Jesus led to the wilderness? Because His flesh had to become subject to the Spirit, so that Jesus could fulfill His mission on this earth. Was it easy? Geen, but Jesus did it!
Jesus withstood all the temptations of the devil. When Jesus came out of the wilderness, His flesh was subjected to the Spirit and His ministry began.
Jesus is ons Voorbeeld, so if Jesus did it, we must also do it. Tensy, we don’t want to become like Jesus and don’t want to walk like Jesus.
The death of the old man
The problem with most Christians is, that they don’t die anymore after the flesh, and don’t put off the old man with his sinful nature. They don’t choose to lay down their flesh in this life. Therefore they automatically choose to lay down their flesh when they die naturally. But if they choose the latter one, then it will be too late to inherit eternal life. Jesus het gesê, that you have a free will to make a choice during your life on this earth
- to die, to the flesh, during your life and gain your life
- to die, in the flesh, after your death and lose your life
If you choose the first one and die to the flesh, during your life on this earth, then you freely lay down your life in Christ. Only then will you receive eternal life.
But if you love your life more than you love Jesus, and are not willing, aan sterf aan die vlees, during your life on this earth, then you automatically will choose the latter option: to die, in the flesh, after you die, and you shall receive eternal death (Merk 8:34-35, John 12:24-25).
Jy is die een, who makes the decision, no one else is able to make that decision for you. Every person on this earth will deal with Jesusas Saviour or as Judge.
Only if you freely lay down your life (your flesh, your ‘self’), during your life upon this earth andtrek die nuwe man aan and obey Jesus; die woord, and be guided andcorrected by the Word, then the new heaven and earth will come for you.
But if you do not lay down your own life, and don’t trek die nuwe man aanand keep living after the flesh. When you don’t submit yourself to the Word and don’t obey the Word, then the new heaven and the new earth will not come for you. But you shall receive eternal fire instead.
Dying to the flesh is a painful process, but it’s necessary. I’m not talking about suicide (murder yourself), but I’m talking about killing the works of the flesh.
Ongelukkig, many preachers don’t preach about dying to the flesh, and putting on the new man. Hulle sê: “Oh well, it is all by grace, and we believe in Jesus Christ.” But the grace of God may never be used as an excuse, to keep living in sin (Lees ook: ‘Kan jy aanhou sondig onder genade?’).
The devil also believes in God
The devil and his demons, also believe in Jesus, and in God, and I think even more than many people. Because the devil has seen God face to face, and even served Him. The devil knows who God is. But because of his ongehoorsaamheid aan God, the devil was thrown out of heaven and cast upon the earth. The final destination of the devil and his demons is the pool of fire.
When you say you believe in Jesus Christ but keep doing your will and keep living after the flesh, you will not receive eternal life. Because as long as you stay obedient to the flesh and serve sin, the devil is your master. To believe in Jesus Christ is only the beginning and not the end.
Deur geloof in Jesus Christus, you have been made righteous and holy. When you become wedergebore and receive His Spirit, you shall renew your mind and walk after the Spirit in holiness and righteousness, doing the works of Jesus.
You shall submit yourself to the Word, and be corrected by the Word. Jy sal obey the Word, and do His will.
This is the secret of faith. Because if a person stays carnal and keeps living after the flesh, the flesh rules in the person’s life. The person shall believe the world instead of the Word and shall be sense ruled. The person shall not be able to believe and shall not be able to keep, nor obey God’s commandments. Because the flesh cannot obey die wil van God.
The carnal mind is enmity against God
Want om vleeslik gesind te wees, is die dood; maar om geestelik gesind te wees, is lewe en vrede. Want die vleeslike verstand is vyandskap teen God: want dit is nie onderworpe aan die wet van God nie, nie een van die twee kan inderdaad wees nie. So then they, that are in the flesh, cannot please God (Romeine 8:6-8)
Jesus called the unregenerate man, a faithless, and perverse generation: Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? hw long shall I suffer you? (Matteus 17:17)
Paulus het aan die gemeente van die Thessalonicense geskryf:
When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power (2 Tessalonisense 1:7-9)
If you do not know Jesus, die woord, you will not be able to obey Him and keep His commandments. You can enigste get to know the Lord God, through Jesus, die woord (die Bybel).
Therefore if you do not know the Word, you don’t know Him, and you will Nie be able to walk after His will and please Him. If you do not obey the Word and don’t walk after His will, you shall not receive eternal life, but everlasting destruction.
Only when a person is born of water and Spirit, and walks after the Spirit, (s)he shall enter the Kingdom of God upon this earth, en die ewige lewe ontvang.
There is no other way than to die in Jesus Christ, and to be raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit, and to become the new creation. You will become a new creation during your life on this earth and not after you die, because then it will be too late, and you won’t enter the new earth.
“Wees die sout van die aarde”
