This weekend we are going to be exploring Jesus’ perception of eternal life. While bookshelves and airwaves are full of people making a quick buck claiming that Christianity has gotten it all wrong, this teaching of live before death and life after death is central to the message of Jesus.

We’ve been exploring the stories of the 3 thieves for a few days now and I have to come to the conclusion that without Jesus, I’m not the “good” thief. I am sinful and I will always celebrate myself before celebrating God. Without the Holy Spirit being active in my life, I have no hope…had no hope. Today, my story is different. Jesus has demonstrated his love and reality to me time and time again. His death on the cross and pursuit of my heart moved heaven and earth so that I wouldn’t have to live as a thief any longer. I have been saved, redeemed, cleansed, and made new.

An interesting shift is happening in our culture today where it is celebrated to wallow in your failures, reject healing, and try to out “fail” our peers. It’s not uncommon to see ‘FML’ at the end of Facebook posts raising a flag of pride in the terrible things of life.

I want you to know that you do not have to wait for death celebrating failure, but you can live your life now by celebrating Christ. There IS a story after death but you don’t have to wait to experience it now.

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. – 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 (ESV)

Follow in the way of Jesus and bask in the glory of His incredible forgiveness and grace.

Repent of your sins and know that you have been cleansed, healed, and made new.