This is the testimony in essence: God gave us eternal life; the life is in his Son. So, whoever has the Son, has life; whoever rejects the Son, rejects life. My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God's Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and NOT the illusion.
1 John 5:11-13
It is common place to hear Christians and Non-Christian alike wish a dead person enters into the rest of God. You hear people say "May his or her soul rest in peace." Welll if wishes were horses beggars will ride. Is this a prayer or a wish? This is a wishful payer if I may call it so. And as wishes are not and cannot be horses beggars cannot ride. Never! Not after death of a man (generic) can he or she enter into the rest of God if he or she as at the time of physical death have not already entered God's rest.
1 John 5:11-13 is explicit. At the new birth our spirit man was imbued with the God-kind-of-life. As Christians we are not striving for eternal life. WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. So our rest in God is guaranteed and sealed with the Blood of JESUS CHRIST. This seal cannot be broken unless one renounces Christ Jesus.
Paul said, "The promise of "arrival" and "rest" is still there for God's people. God himself is at rest. And at the end of the journey we'll surely rest with God. So let's keep at it and eventually arrive at the place of rest, not drop out through some sort of disobedience."
Hebrews 4:10-11
We enter His rest whilst we are alive and that choice is the prerogative of each individual to make whilst alive. Make hay bro and sist whiles the sun shines. The sun shines now, so this is the time to enter into His rest. NO AMOUNT OF FASTING AND PRAYER by any Man of God, your spouse, children, siblings, friends, mourners et cetera can cause your SOUL to rest in peace if you reject Christ Jesus now that you are alive.
It doesn't matter that someone is your father, mother, spouse, sibling, child, colleague at work, friend if he or she does not have Christ Jesus he or she does not have eternal life; that is serious unchangeable trouble at death. For it is appointed unto man (generic) to die once (physical death) and after death judgement. Hebrews 9:27.
Everyone has to die once, then face the consequences. Christ's death was also a one-time event, but it was a sacrifice that took care of sins forever. And so, when he next appears, the outcome for those eager to greet him is, precisely, salvation. MSG
Hebrews 9:27-28
If you have any wish to make, then it should be to the bereaved family. That God should comfort them and cause them to enter into His rest whilst alive. If the dead is already entered God's rest whilst alive it is still not scriptural to make such a wish as it does not lie with you to decided that. For God is not a man that He should tell a lie . Nor the son of man that He should repent. Has, He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken and will He not make it good? Numbers 23:19 God does not need you to remind Him of a believer entering into His rest. His gifts and promises are without repentance.
Now, this is the confidence we have in Christ Jesus. That we have eternal life NOW. We are not worried neither do we have sleepless night when the righteous passes on. One thing is certain anytime a believer passes on; He or she is in the rest of God. So, what a Christian should be concerned with is what crown is he or she going to receive? We are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus but we are going to be honoured by our works in the Kingdom Business. The stakes and standards are extremely high. So, run the race of this physical life conscious of the fact that your eternal destination is with Christ Jesus but your status and award in heaven is determined by your works in the Kingdom Business whilst you were alive.
But to the one who has rejected Christ Jesus, you have no place in Him at death. Your soul CANNOT be at rest in eternal torment. Make that choice now.
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