When you hear the word disqualified, you will probably think of an athlete who has broken one of the rules as laid out by the governing body of whatever sport they are participating in. This could be a disqualification such as testing positive for a banned substance or being disqualified for a false start in a sprint. You may also be disqualified from driving because of impaired driving or dangerous driving. You could also be disqualified for running for a political position because you did not meet certain criteria. Usually to be disqualified in something, you have broken a set of rules that were meant to be followed.
Today I want to talk about being disqualified from eternal life and how to prevent that from happening. Jesus said John 3:15 “everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” To be qualified means that you believe and to be disqualified means you do not believe. The word disqualified means to make unfit, to deprive of a right, or privilege or to make ineligible for a prize or for further competition because of violations of the rules.” So obviously to be qualified means you are fit and eligible for the prize because you have followed the rules. Paul helps us understand this when he talks about racing. Paul said to Timothy, 2 Timothy 2:2 “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.” He also said, 1 Corinthians 9:24 “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
Now to be clear, Paul really isn’t telling you to train your body so you can qualify for the Boston Marathon or Ironman event, he is talking about serving Jesus Christ with everything you have just like you would train for one of those events. Paul also said to Timothy, 1 Timothy 4:7 “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” Many will train on their own and do quite well but if you are going to succeed, many will hire a coach to take them to the next level. For some they will advance beyond the abilities of their coach and they will have to change coaches and move to the elite level of coaching. The good news for you and I is that we do not have to hire a coach to take us to the elite level of spirituality, we just have to submit to Jesus and God will guide us. John 16:3 “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” Yes, there are many who make you believe you cannot get there without them and some even teach you do not have access to that level without them. For many they only seek what man can do for them and miss what the Holy Spirit can do. Through the Spirit we have direct access to God as God wants to make His dwelling in us. John 14:23 “Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” 1 Corinthians 3:16 “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” Ephesians 2:19 “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” So many people who call themselves Christians go to church or listen online and listen to the gurus and they never grow. They are constantly looking for someone to listen to. Hebrews 5:12 “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!”
The church is filled with man’s ways, thoughts, teaching, rules, regulations and traditions. Many think that by following these rules they will be qualified and not disqualified. When Paul said “anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules,” he was not telling us to follow manmade rules but to love God with everything we have but the church has followed man instead. Jesus said Mark 7:6 “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” 9 And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!” Somewhere along the way, the church started to adopt rules and regulations and built buildings thinking this was what we were supposed to do and that continues to this day. To be part of a church, the attendee needs to agree to guidelines as laid out in the “book” and no not the bible; the one in addition to the bible. Buildings were built and people gathered and those who did it best sold their ideas to others so they could attempt to do the same, but it rarely works. The gurus were called successful because they built a building and filled it with people and came up with their own ways to follow, yet there was no power. Many will talk about the old, old stories but don’t believe the power in those old stories is available for today, so as Paul said it is just talk and not power. The problem is most in the church have bought into the powerless church and have disqualified themselves from eternal life because they thought they could get there by following rules and regulations.
Instead of following God’s word, the church started following the words of man which became rules and regulations that turned into traditions. Paul asked this question Colossians 2:20 “Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.” Men and woman teach the rules of their denomination and expect those who attend to adhere to them and if they do not adhere to them, they are disqualified. But that is actually a good way to be disqualified, then maybe you will seek the true way and life and be qualified. We were warned Matthew 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Matthew 24:4 “Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.” Matthew 16:6 ““Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Mark 13:21 “At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.” Mark 12:38 “As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law.” Acts 20:29 “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” Romans 16:17 “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.” John gives us this warning. 2 John 1:7 “I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. 11 Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.” Yet people will teach you that you cannot lose and be disqualified even though scripture tells us otherwise. 2 Peter 3:17 “Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.” 1 Corinthians 10:12 “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” You will be disqualified from eternal life if you keep following them. It is better to be disqualified from their teaching so that you will qualify for eternal life.” Matthew 25:41 “Then he (Jesus) will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
I do realize that for many Christians they only know what they have been told. They have not tested the spirits and have been deceived, thus they have been disqualified from the race as they are off course and do not even know it. The great deception is that people are serving satan all the while thinking that they are serving Jesus. 1 John 4:1 “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” By adhering to the ways of man, that means you have rejected the way of God. Yes, most will tell you they teach the way of Jesus yet what they teach does not line up with scripture nor is there any power because they do not believe the power is available to all who believe, so they do not seek it. The church and the bible should be the same, but they are not. This means the church has not followed the right path. Proverbs 9 tells us there are two paths; one to life and one to death. Isaiah said, Isaiah 35:8 “And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it.” Most people do not know they are not on that highway but instead they followed the wrong path. Proverbs 7:25 “Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. 26 Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. 27 Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.” Instead, we need to be followers of the way and stay on that path until the very end without veering from it. Hebrews tells us how. Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Then as men and women who preach the gospel and do as Jesus did, they will teach others not to follow themselves but to follow Jesus. Ephesians 4:11 “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.”
The only way not to be disqualified for eternal life is to keep our eyes on Jesus, not on man. To keep our eyes on Jesus we need to know the voice of Jesus. When Paul was called to serve Jesus with his life, after Ananias healed Paul he said to Paul, Acts 22:14 “The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.” Paul was told he would help others just as he was helped. Acts 26:17 “I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” Too many Christians cannot tell the difference between the voice of Jesus and the voice of satan, therefore they are deceived and disqualified which is the what satan is trying to do. Jesus said to the Jews when they asked if He was the Messiah, John 10:25 “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” Man decided to use this verse about snatching and teach people they were eternally secure even though those they were teaching were now disqualified for listening to other gospels. By listening, they were actually snatched away. You are only secure if you follow the right voice to the very end. Just because you go to a certain church and believe a certain teaching, does not make you secure, especially since the churches teaching this have no power. There are still people in the church acting like those who crucified Jesus. Mark 15:17 “They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. 18 And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. 29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 come down from the cross and save yourself!” 31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! 32 Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.”
Today most refuse to believe there is power available to all who believe. Paul would still say what he said to the Jews, Acts 13:46 “Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.” The problem is there is no one else to go to. The Gentiles have rejected Jesus just as the Jews did and now there is only a remnant left. Millions have been disqualified for eternal life because they refuse to follow God’s word and believe. Instead, they follow man and expect life but only death is coming. Galatians 1:6 “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! 10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
To be qualified for eternal life, we must believe God at His word. When Jesus called His disciples that was a prelude of what was to come at Pentecost, not just a story we read from the past. Matthew 10:1 “Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.” After Pentecost this power would be for all who would believe which is why we are told about the gifts of the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:4 “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” We were called to do as Jesus did, so we must believe what He said. This refusal to believe has cause the church to be powerless against our enemies and now the church is desolate because the church did not listen to all the warnings. satan masterfully deceived the church into believing his attack would be in the future and never in the present, meanwhile he has decimated the church from within. 2 Thessalonians 2:4 “He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” We were warned to be in our guard so that we would not be deceived but instead the church welcomed false teaching and those who taught them. Their end will come and you do not want to be part of their demise. 2 Peter 2:1 “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. 17 These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” 20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.”
The good news is that God is gracious to His people and will keep His promise to David, so there is hope of a future for the church but there must be repentance. Matthew 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” To be qualified for eternal life, we must obey and teach others to do the same. That was the great commission. Matthew 28:18 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Most people only ready Matthew 28 and fail to read Mark 16 which says the same thing but expands the authority. Mark 16:15 “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” 19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.” For this power to happen again, the church must repent and turn from wicked ways. Mark 1:14 “Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Ezekiel 33:11 “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?” Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
When we turn, we believe all that Jesus says and we follow Him wholeheartedly. We believe like Abraham. Romans 4:18 “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” We believe like Mary. Elizabeth said Luke 1:45 “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” Believing what man says about Jesus is not the same as believing what Jesus says to believe because most are teaching other gospels. We have to discern as to who is teaching the truth. Most who teach want you to believe the distinctive tradition that has been handed down to them, but don’t follow the path they want to take you on. Instead trust that Jesus will take you on the right path. Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.” Isaiah 30:20 “Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them.”
Are you running the right race? Are you going in the right direction? Is the right person guiding you? Are you even willing to find out? Have you submitted your life to Jesus? Do you believe Jesus at His word? At this point we are waiting for God to turn His face back to shine upon us and we know that He will because He promised David. Isaiah 54:7 “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. 8 In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you, says the Lord your Redeemer.” We have hope just as David had hope. Psalm 27:13 “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Micah 7:7 “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” While we wait, we trust God’s word and believe all that Jesus has promised. Titus 2:11 “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope (not the rapture)—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” While we wait, we need to be ready. Luke 12:35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.”
Paul tells us our aim is to finish the race without being disqualified. Galatians 4:6 “Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. 8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? 10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.” Earlier Paul talked about making sure he was not disqualified when he said, 1 Corinthians 9:27 “No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” Paul was committed to the race and willing to lay down his life for Jesus. Acts 20:22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” Paul knew what His task was and whether he lived or died, it didn’t matter. Philippians 1:20 “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” What mattered was that he would finish the race. 2 Timothy 4:6 “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 1:12 “That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.”
Are you qualified or disqualified? Are you convinced of that? The gift of eternal life doesn’t come by following rules and regulations. Following man’s ways will disqualify you from eternal life. So while disqualifications take place in sports because man’s rules were broken, being disqualified for eternal life happens because you did not love God wholeheartedly nor were you willing to submit to Him. Luke 18:18 “A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’” 21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” 28 Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” 29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.” The jailer said to Paul and Silas Acts 16:30 “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16 “Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil. 23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”
