Paul encouraged Corinthian Christians to maintain the purity, and abstain from activities that can trap them into sexual immorality.
The apostle also encouraged people who are ripe for marriage to do so, in order to avoid sexual sins.
Any adult who chooses to remain single must maintain body purity and abstain from sexuality.
Paul admonished,
“I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress—that it is good for a man to remain as he is: Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned….” (1 Corinthians 7:26-28).
Lesson on Purity
Humans are comprised of spirit, soul, and body – which are necessary for normal functioning.
All three elements, except the human soul, will transition after death. The human body is corruptible and will decay after death.
(Christians who are alive during rapture would see their body transformed).
The spirit that keeps a person alive will also return to God after death.
However, the human soul will survive natural death to face God’s judgment at the end.
A person’s soul will face judgment to be rewarded for its past earthly activities. Souls that served God well on earth and also received the salvation of Jesus Christ will be awarded heaven, but unrepentant souls would be condemned in hell.
Therefore, everyone must be sensitive not to allow the human body – which is temporal corrupt his/her soul that will ultimately face God’s judgment.
Prayer of Grace to Maintain Purity of Life
Dear God, please I do not want my soul to burn in hell fire, but I want to make heaven!
Help me to resist sins; do not let me yield to temptations, but empower me to maintain my body in holiness so that I can receive your positive rewards in heaven.
Jesus Will Soon Come To Rapture His Saints To Heaven
The second coming of Jesus Christ is also known as Rapture, and it is not a question of “what if,” but a question of “when it will happen.”
The rapture of saints is imminent.
It will surely occur as the scripture foretold.
“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.
For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord, himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
Jesus Christ asked his disciples to diligently tarry for his second coming and said,
“Blessed are those servants whom the master when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them also, blessed are those servants.
But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Luke 12:37-40).
Deeper Focus
What Qualifies A Person For Rapture?
Rapture is imminent.
Christ will soon come, and his coming maybe sooner than later. People who considered themselves followers of Jesus Christ – that is, Christians should remain steadfast in their commitments to their Lord because their basis of faith will be evaluated before they can be qualified.
Christians who are courageous to steadfastly serve Christ and wait for the Messiah’s second coming will be ultimately rewarded.
Christ – the Savior – will use the standard of the bible to either accept or reject anyone from his Father’s kingdom.
His main qualifying criteria is a person’s choice of deity.
That is, Jesus will only transport people who have confessed their faith in him to heaven.
Those people who have personally identified themselves with him as their personal Lord and Savior will qualify. As the scripture stated,
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved” (Romans 10:9-10 NLT).
Not just a confession of faith that saves a person, but the lifestyle that he or she has lived on earth that will determine if he/she will qualify for heaven or not.
Believers who have confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and remain consistent in their faith by keeping his testimony will be regarded as “Just” and be counted worthy to inherit the kingdom of God.
It is stated,
“I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:50-54 NIV)
If Rapture Is Real, Then What Stake Does It Offer Christians?
The reward of Christian faithfulness is far-reaching.
Christ will rapture his saints and call them home from the trouble and trauma of the world.
The Savior will wipe off tears of affliction and persecution from the faces of his saints.
He will also award them his gift of an imperishable eternal crown of glory.
Perhaps the best of all gifts the saints will receive in heaven is the gift of the eternal life of peace (tranquility).
Believers will be permanently stationed with God in heaven to rejoice in his loving arms. Sin and pain won’t be mentioned in heaven.
Sickness will be found wanting there also!
All that saints of God will enjoy in heaven is everlasting life of perfect peace and joy.
Not much of some anticipated benefits that should excite anyone about qualifying for the rapture, but the actual tasks that are required.
Christians are saved by grace, but they must be fully committed and be serious with their faith and practices to qualify for God’s well-advertised kingdom.
To actually qualify for God’s kingdom, believers must daily make conscious efforts to serve God with faithfulness.
They must hold their confession of Jesus Christ firmly, and live holy lives.
Also, each Christian must understand that human power would not be strong enough to help anyone meet
God’s criteria of heaven. Believers must rely on God to adequately meet his standard.
More importantly, believers must express their fear and weaknesses to God through prayers. They must pray that God should grant them grace and strength needed adequately to satisfy him.
Prayer To Qualify For Christ’s Rapture
Christians must pray for God’s strength. No serious Christian should consider exercise as a tedious job.
Please pray!
My dear Jesus Christ, please give me the grace to keep my testimony as a true Christian.
I know you are Christ the Son of God; no one can go to the Father except through you.
I have confessed you as my personal Lord, and that is why I am a Christian.
All I am asking now is your grace to keep my testimony unto the end. Help me to live holy and acceptable life before you, so that I can qualify for your rapture.
Please give me the grace to serve you well and remain consistent with you throughout the days of my life.
Please write my name in the book of life, and let me remain heavenly bound.
For in your precious name “Jesus Christ” my Savior I make my requests.
For in the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
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Tags: admonition, heaven, heaven qualification, heavenly home, holiness, prayer of grace, pure life, purity