This Side of the Dirt

1. Conventional wisdom mandates that Believers have to "do good works", "obey God's rules", and "be perfect" in order to receive eternal life. That we maintain the rules in order to "stay in God's good graces" and "be saved" and receive "eternal salvation".

2. My friend says, "How do you know I am not a believer? After all, I 'accept' Jesus and that's all I need for eternal life, right?"

3. Homer Simpson asks -when trying to get out of going to church, "Why can't I be like everybody else and pray like hell for salvation on my death bed?"

Lots of confusion concerning eternal life.

Here's a truth no one advertises: eternal life happens here and now -- in this life - - every day. It's not something that happens after we die. It's a gift we receive on THIS SIDE OF THE DIRT. And we keep the gift eternally when our body is well buried on the other side of the dirt.

Have you ever heard a follower of Jesus say, "After I found Jesus, boy, I became more disciplined, I started doing the right thing, and I became more productive!" No. You haven't. What you have heard us say is something like this: "I don't know how to explain it, but as soon as I came to Jesus" (translated means, 'as soon as I became a BELIEVER in Jesus) "I don't know what happened! I started to see things differently, I began to change, felt so happy and loved, I started treating people around me with love...I just can't explain this feeling!"

The indescribable feeling/the change/the new beginning, is inscribed in the human DNA, in our souls. The 'feeling'...the unexplainable is the last part of a 4 part linear sequence of realization that happens in all believers. And probably 99% of them do not know this is happening to them.

They are receiving the gift of eternal life while they are still here - alive - on earth.

You don't have to go to church, you don't have to adhere to a list of rules, you can't merely 'accept' Jesus...no luke warm behavior will uncover this strand of your human DNA.

All you have to do is really own these 3 things:
God Loved. (the whole world - not just a certain people)
God Gave. (his son...his all. when you love, you give, right?)
We Believe. (his son was a sin offering...paid the price...showed us the way)

Then the 4th automatically follows:
We Receive. (the gift of eternal life...living eternally B4 we die)

Message to Christians:
1. If you have a conventional wisdom type of thinking, such as, "I go to church every Sunday, Easter and Christmas, too- even volunteer, clean up, teach a class, for sure I will get eternal life as a result." Please think again. Attending church and doing good deeds doesn't make you any closer to being a Christian than sleeping in your garage will turn you into a car.

2. Or if you are like my friend, a person who says, "Well, I am a Christian because I ACCEPT Jesus." That's just like sitting on the chair half way. You need to fully own your belief - not merely tolerate it like a kid tolerates a kiss from the scary grandma.

3. Or if you are like Homer Simpson in your thinking, "I love Jesus and God and all that, but I don't need it till I die, I'll just live my life playing full-out till I'm old, then I'll ask for Jesus to save me." You are MISSING the most amazing way to live - - you are choosing to limit what could be infinite....what could be eternal.

If you want to have that inexplicable feeling, that breathtaking joy, that glow, that 'thing' that happiness that everyone notices...but that you can't explain, you must fully believe.

God Loved. God Gave. We Believe. We Receive.