You Only Live Twice

“What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (James 4:14)

One of the most successful TV commercials of all time says ''You only go around once in life, so you have to grab for all the gusto you can get!”

That is a suitable moto for both the believer and unbeliever. God has given that life, so you might as well live it to its fullest potential. Nevertheless the truth of the Scripture is more in line with the title of the 1967 James Bond movie “You Only Live Twice”.

All people will live twice. Once as a mortal where we experience the difference between good and evil and then die and give God an accounting as to how we lived it. I am convinced that perfect attendance in Church won’t count for much. I think that what will matter to God  is whether you left this “present evil age” (Galatians 1:4) a little better just because you lived in it.

“So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God…For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.” (Romans 14:12; Matthew 16:27)

The Second life is a gift from God just as the first, however, it is a “new creation” and never ending in a sinless, immortal body composed of 100% Spirit. As an immortal, we will be blessed beyond measure by boundless "riches of Christ"….and we all will then be "in Christ" and like him!

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life…if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here…this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ… Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” (Romans 6:23; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 3:8; 1 John 3:2-3)

So why do people live like the devil…well  in my opinion it is because they have not been told the truth so they have no hope.

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed” (Titus 2:11-12)

"...ungodly persons who turn the GRACE of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." (Jude 1:4)

I have been told by sincere Christians that they fear that if sinners are told they have been saved by the GRACE of God without any "free will" choice, then they will be prone to "licentiousness" because they would have no restraint.

They simply do not know, or have forgotten their experience with the true GRACE of God, in my opinion. My experience is that the ones who come to know true GRACE endeavor to please God in all that they do, and do not deny their Lord Jesus who brought "salvation to all men" (Titus 2:11).

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men…” (Titus 2:11)

If Salvation was brought to mankind as a “choice”, it seems to me that it is by that choice (a work) that a person would be saved. But we are told in Scripture that Salvation is by the grace of God and excludes the works of men.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works…” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

It does not seem right to me to mix the two and still call it grace. I agree with Paul…

"But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace" (Romans 11:6)

The Sign

"As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately.  Tell us, they said, when will this happen, and what will be the sign of thy coming?" (Matthew 24:3)

Jesus then told them what to look for...

"Jesus answered: Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming I am the Messiah, and will deceive many...and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people" (Matthew 24:4, 11)

In an era when many call themselves followers of Jesus, but are deceiving themselves and others, that is the sign of the era in which Jesus will return. 

The Apostle Paul also speaks of this era.

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

In an era such as this there will be another sign in heaven.

"Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory" (Matthew 24:30)

This sign is the actual return of Jesus, and no one knows the day or  the hour.

But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Matthew 24:36)

You can know the signs by simply studying the bible.  Few do.

It is admirable to keep watching for His return, for it is "our blessed hope" and we should live our lives as if it may occur today.

"For the grace of God has appeared that brings salvation to all people. It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 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. These, then, are the things you should teach." (Titus 2:11-15)

I am excited about the return of Jesus all the time. It will happen - and soon I hope. But I pay little attention to those who write books about it.  I prefer reading the THE BOOK of BOOKS and not in some famous religious leader's best seller.