There are qualifications for virtually everything.
We don't give our cars to people who are not professional mechanics. We don't ask people who are not fashion designers to sew our clothes.
If we need to keep money, we take it to a bank.
When we need medical advice or check up, we don't go to an architect, no matter how educated he is. There are people who are qualified for certain things.
In the same way, there are important places we cannot enter or be a part of except we are qualified.
For instance, you can't gain admission into a university without taking a QUALIFYING exam (no matter what the exam is called!)
You can't enter certain places in the airport except you are a 'trained personnel'. In the same way you must have at least a passport (and most times a visa) if you intend to pass from one country into another; either by plane, train, car or ship.
Nobody can suddenly enter into the kingdom of God without qualifications.
There are passports and visa you must have if you ever want to enter into the eternal kingdom of God.
If humans could place restrictions on other human beings, why would we think God would allow just anybody to enter into His kingdom?
"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."1Cor.6:9-10(NIV)
If someone will ever be able to enter the eternal kingdom, he should be able to know from here. To be qualified as a citizen in the kingdom of God, an applicant must have genuine conversion (Lk.13:3,5; Prov.28:13; Ps.32:3-5), genuine consecration (Rom.6:13,16,19; Rom.12:1), genuine conduct (1Jn.2:6;1Pet.2:21), genuine conversation (Col.4:6; Jam.1:26; Eph.4:29) and genuine company (2Cor.6:14-18; 1Jn.2:15-17; Acts 2:40-47).
In the next five edition of this Edification Tracts, we are going to be critically examining each of these qualifications.
When one checks his exam results, he should instantly be able to know whether or not he is qualified to go to the next class.
It is the same with entry into the Eternal Kingdom. If we will each look at ourselves, soberly for once, without prejudice or being dogmatic, it should be clear to us whether or not our gaze, affection, desires, and hopes are heavenward.
"Examine yourselves (as to) whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves? Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you; unless indeed you are disqualified?" 2Cor.13:5 (NKJV)
"Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don't drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need first hand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it." (MSG)
We are in the end time, and the devil is fighting a messy multi-faceted and multiple front warfare…several are conquered already, even right inside church buildings!
"Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don't drift along taking everything for granted…"
Examine and test yourself constantly to ensure you still believe in Jesus and all He stands for; just exactly the way you believed four or five years ago. Do you still believe God will overlook conscious and consistent sins (Rom.6:1, 2:1-11)? Do you still believe the word of God that says that he who sins habitually is a child of the devil (1Jn.3:8)?
Please check again, when was the last time you confronted yourself about the matter of sin?
I do hope you have not joined the legions of professing Christians who erroneously think they can bribe God with fat offerings.
If you die now, are qualified to enter into heaven (1Cor.6:9-10, Rev.21:27)? Did you say goodbye to your old sinful life? Did you make a clean break from your old way of life and old companions or are you like many deacons, who are womanizers, covetous and idolaters?
It is not wise to assume all is well. We need to each be sure all things are truly well between us and God. As we daily live our lives, we need to know who we are actually living for…is it Christ or is it self?
Please let us check again one more time, lest we run and run in vain (1Cor.9:24-27)
