Brother Bob Pellien: Everyday people are working hard, working to make ends meet and sacrificing to provide for their families, laboring without end. Do our efforts in life have any importance if we all die in the end? Let’s find the answer, here, in the Holy Bible.
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Bob Pellien: Hello everyone and welcome to That’s in the Bible! And the basis of the teachings here in the Church Of Christ is always the Bible, the Holy Scriptures.
Now we want to clarify, as we do regularly, that the Bible does not answer just any and all questions, but regarding proper worship, the right relationship with God, and most importantly, salvation – those answers are most definitely in the Bible.
Dear friends, today we’re answering a question from John Mota. He writes:
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Why do people strive to succeed in this life? They strive so hard in school and after school, they go to maybe other schools, or they try really hard to get a really stable career just in the end to die, when in the end it’s just death. So why do we all do that in our life just to meet death?
Brother Bob: Well, it seems to imply that working so hard just to provide, and such, is useless. It doesn’t have any value, it does not have any importance, and because we’re just going to end up dying anyway?
For us, however, inside the Church Of Christ, we would not embrace that particular observation or, let’s say, that particular way of thinking. Why not? Because we believe in an important promise of the Lord. And to understand this promise, let’s focus today on a few topics based on John’s question. We’ll be turning, of course, here, to the Bible, to answer the following:
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Will all of my efforts be forgotten after I die?
Why does it matter what I do in this life?
What kind of work should I be doing?
Will all my efforts be forgotten after I die?
Brother Bob: … is the question, dear friends, as promised.
Let’s turn to the Holy Scriptures and hear what the Lord has in response to these questions. Revelation, chapter 14, verse 13 begins answering this way:
Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
[Revelation 14:13 New International Version]
Brother Bob: So, those who are laboring, dear friends, those who are sacrificing so much, they do not just die, and that’s the end of it. No. The Bible mentions very clearly here. They will rest from their labors, and there’s a record of their deeds that will follow them.
Brother Bob: How does the Bible further describe the record of their deeds that will go with them or will follow them? Let’s continue going to the Bible for answers to these important questions. And we’ll turn to the book of Revelation, chapter 20, verse 12 and 13 which reads this way:
And I saw the dead, small and great standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
[Revelation 20:12-13 New King James Version]
Brother Bob: So dear friends, the Bible is very clear. Everyone is judged according to their works. So, will one’s efforts end after you die? Clearly no. You will rest, says the Bible. And your deeds, the things, the actions of what you have done, the works you have accomplished, will follow you. You will be judged by these deeds. We will be judged, all of us, by our works. If the deeds recorded there in those books mentioned here in the Bible, [are] pleasing and acceptable to the Lord, and we are then worthy of salvation or eternal life to be with Him there in His Kingdom, well if that’s the case, this brings us to our next question: Why does it matter what I do in this life? How important are the things done in this life? In the book of 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4, verse 16 and 17:
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
[1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 New King James Version]
Brother Bob: So, dear friends, if our deeds are found acceptable to the Lord, we will be worthy to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Do you know what one’s life will be like there in the Kingdom of Heaven? The Bible also describes it. How? In the book of Revelation, chapter 21, verses 1, and let’s continue all the way to verse 4. It reads:
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
[Revelation 21:1-4 New King James Version]
Brother Bob: Dear friends, if you are worthy to enter that Kingdom of Heaven, there’s a perfect life waiting for you. A life without pain, a life without grief, a life without crying, a life without suffering. Does it mean that what we do in this life doesn’t matter? The opposite – it does matter what we do in this life! How are we sure? If your deeds are acceptable to God, then you will be worthy to go to this place – the Kingdom of Heaven. There is work in this life that has value, has importance, but not all work. Some work may, of course, fulfill certain responsibilities in life. Yes. But what work has the greatest value of all? And that brings us to our next topic:
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What kind of work should I be doing?
Brother Bob: The Bible responds this way. Again, going back to the writings of Apostle Paul, 1 Corinthians 15:58:
So then, my dear friends, stand firm and steady. Keep busy always in your work for the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord’s service is ever useless.
[1 Corinthians 15:58 Good News Translation]
Brother Bob: So, dear friends, there is labor, there is work for the Lord that is expected to be done, and that’s not useless. That’s not without importance or value. And some examples as we’ve also studied on this program: John, chapter 10, verse 9, the Lord’s instruction to enter into Him. Colossians 1:18: in His body which is the Church. Worship faithfully. Love the brotherhood. Invite our fellow men to join with us serving the Lord. Protect ourselves from the evils of the world around us. There is a lot of important works that the Lord instructs us to do as His loyal and faithful servants. There is important work that has to be done in this life to ensure one’s right to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Let’s summarize. In conclusion, let’s review, dear friends, what we have just read from the Scriptures together. Our question was:
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Will all my efforts be forgotten after I die?
Brother Bob: What did we read? No. You will rest. And then what? Your deeds will follow you. How so? You will be judged, as well, by those deeds or works done. If the deeds recorded there in those books are pleasing and acceptable to the Lord, we are worthy of salvation or eternal life with Him in His Kingdom. And we heard that Kingdom described. What else? What does it matter, when one says:
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Why does it matter what I do in this life?
Brother Bob: Dear friends, it does matter what you do! Because if your deeds are acceptable to God, then you’ll be worthy of going to that place, the Kingdom of Heaven. There is work in this life that has value. It must be done. And then we asked:
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What kind of work should I be doing?
Brother Bob: [The] answer in the Bible was what? There’s important work that has to be done in this life to earn one’s right into that kingdom. What was the instruction? Keep busy in your work for the Lord. That’s the work we have to be busy doing. Like I was saying, that’s why inside the Church Of Christ, we worship, we sing, we pray, we learn.
We’d like you to continue learning with us about the Iglesia Ni Cristo, the Church Of Christ. To do that, visit us online:
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Visit incmedia.org
Brother Bob: Browse the different topics and set up an appointment to meet with a Minister of the Gospel. Join us in worship services. If you have questions about the Bible or about salvation, e-mail them to us.
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Brother Bob: Dear friends, I’m Bob Pellien. Thanks for watching this program. We’ll see you again, next time, right here on That’s in the Bible!
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