WHEN I TRIED TO BRIBE GOD ~ Precious C Philip

It is quite unfortunate that a lot of today's Professing Christians will do anything to go to heaven but obey the commandments of God and live a holy life. They're ready to go to church on Sundays, give tithe and offerings, buy and listen to christian songs, but to obey the commands of God and give up sinful living and embrace righteous living is something they're not willing to do. They love sin but hate righteousness. They love the idea of going to heaven but hate the idea of dropping sin to be allowed entrance into heaven.

From Hebrews 1:9 that says, "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." We understand that you can either love righteousness or love sin. If you love righteousness you must hate sin and bid it farewell. But these set of Christians want to have the benefit of righteous living without dropping sin. They want to hold on to their false "freedom" to live any how they want, do whatever they want to do and go to wherever they want to go and still enter the kingdom of heaven on the last day. 

They want to party on Friday nights, go to nightclubs, fornicate, watch pornography, engage in adultery and homosexuality, and still be on their way to heaven. These category of "Christians" gather around preachers that do not preach holiness, righteousness, heaven, hell and sanctification. They love and surround preachers that only preach breakthrough, money, restoration, hope, prosperity, promotion etc.

The funniest part is that these nominal Christians try to bribe God to overlook their sinful lifestyle with seemingly 'good works' and 'moral/spiritual deeds'. So, they would give to the poor, publicly sing, listen, play or share christian songs on their social media handles just to tell people that they're Christians and that they know God; they would seek justice for the oppressed, give tithes and offerings, go to church on Sundays, read their bible once in a while (just to brag that they read the Bible, not to actually do what it says), fast once in a blue moon, pray once in a while, attend church programmes and even officiate in church service units.

They would even seldomly share christian messages on their social media platforms. These things they intentionally do in an attempt to make up for their sinful lifestyle, not minding what Jesus said in John 3:3 "Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." 

"No matter the "good works'" you do, if you're not born again, you cannot and will not enter the kingdom of God."

They know quite well that without holiness no one shall see God (Hebrews 12:14). They have constantly heard that - unless a person is born again by the Holy Spirit, he or she will not enter the kingdom of God, yet they're unwilling to give up their ungodly lifestyle and put their faith in Jesus to be genuinely saved.

My question for you dear reader is: are you in the company of these nominal Christians? Are you one of them? If you are, I want you to know that you're reading this right now because Jesus wants to clean you up and put His Spirit in you and empower you to live a holy life. Why not surrender to Jesus right now to do His cleansing work in your life? 

The truth is, no man can bribe God. God is not a man; He is not a man that can be bribed. Whoever dies in sinful living will go straight to hell fire. No amount of good deeds or moral acts can get anyone (who has refused to give up the pleasure of sin) to heaven.

Please let Jesus into your heart today. I used to be in the company of these nominal Christians. I was religious. I would go to church on Sundays, attend church programmes, sing in the choir, try to do good things, read the Bible every night before I sleep, pray when I wake up and before I go to bed..., all these I did in the past thinking they'd get me to heaven - by making God overlook my secret lifestyle of sin (I was a hypocrite: an ungodly girl in school and a saint in church).

No hypocrite will make it to heaven. Even a  religious Christian will not make it to heaven. Only a born again, righteous, Spirit-filled Christian will make it. I know you want to make it to heaven which is why you try to do good deeds and religious acts, so why not go all the way to actually do what will grant you access into heaven? Rather than waste your time doing "good things/spiritual things" that are not noticed by God and are incapable of influencing or changing God's mind about a person's eternal destiny.

Heaven is real - this you know, otherwise you'll not be making attempt to bribe God with "good deeds" to grant you access into heaven when you leave planet earth. Therefore, do all it actually takes to make heaven: have faith in Jesus as the Son of God, receive His payment for your sins on the cross, believe that He was crucified on the cross for your redemption, was buried and rose on the third day, believe that He rose to impute His righteousness on you and make you right with God, then receive His righteousness and the Holy Spirit God the Father gives and begin to live a holy life in obedience to the commandments of God contained in the Holy Bible. Share your salvation experience and the gospel of Jesus with others. Join a living Church God leads you to.

God bless you.