Reward
/Dearest Ones,
I love you with an everlasting love, and my heart is full of determination to finish the work that I have begun. When I won the victory over Satan on the cross, I trod the winepress alone. [Isa. 63:3, 5.] At that time I looked and there was no one by my side to help me. All of my disciples had deserted me except my beloved friend John, to whom I committed the care of my mother before I died. And just as he was faithful to me at my crucifixion, so I saved him from a martyr's death at the end of his days, although all the other disciples died as martyrs. I also committed to him the visions of the great sweep of time as is recorded in the book of Revelation, for his mind was the most open to my teachings, my character, and my mission. Everything that is contained in the stages of my ministry for my people in the Heavenly Sanctuary is recorded in the book of Revelation. It is prefigured in Daniel, and revealed, finished and sealed in Revelation. But it is purposefully written in code language, because it is only for those who know me as John did, and can hear my voice and have a deep love relationship with me. To these I open my heart and share the secrets and light that only those who listen to my voice can comprehend.
The topic for today is "reward." All throughout my teachings in both the Old and New Testaments, I have tried to show the cause and effect of cherished sin, or character defects that could, and should have been overcome if the persons maintained a faith relationship with me. All sins come from pride, self-sufficiency, self-protection, and allowing oneself to disconnect from me. Without me you can do nothing. [John 15:5.] All rulers who have failed have done so because of pride. David, Solomon, Nebuchadnezzar, and Belshazzar are examples, and even Satan himself and his followers who fell from their high positions did so because of pride and self-sufficiency.
There is always a continuing need for faith, humility, and a consistent trust in me that is necessary to persevere to the end. Many who begin well fall away because of a lack of perseverance. Behind all these things is a lack of faith in me and my principles. Why persevere in the journey to Heaven if you don't believe in my Word and trust in my faithfulness? Satan will tempt you to think that after all your faith and efforts there will be no reward at the end, but only disappointed hopes and shame. Don't listen to him, or it will cause you to be discouraged and fall away. Faith isn't faith unless it leads you to persevere until the victory is won. This is the essence of righteousness by faith.
Many are becoming weary in the pursuit of righteousness, and because of their failures, they are accepting the theory that faith means believing that my righteousness covers their unrighteousness, and thus it will ever have to be until I come in the clouds of Heaven and change their characters in the areas that they have not overcome. This is not faith at all, but presumption. Faith moves forward in the battle against sin and Satan and by faith and connection with me the victory is won. No half-hearted followers will win the prize of eternal life, for when I come, my reward will be with me. This means that the effort to seize the victory will have already been accomplished, and the reward of eternal life will be in recognition that you are safe to save because you have taken hold of me by faith while you were on earth while probationary time was yet open. Thus you received the victory - the seal of the full and complete indwelling of the Holy Spirit - before my ministry in the Most Holy Place ended.
Righteousness by faith means receiving my victory over sin by a constant faith relationship with me. It is not faith that believes that I will cover known sins that you have not overcome and have decided to live with because you don't know how to stop failing whenever circumstances push you beyond your ability to keep up your guard against temptation. Faith continues to seek me until the victory is won!
For those who go to sleep before I come, I will judge according to my knowledge and understanding of their comprehension of the plan of salvation, and the sincerity of their love for me. But for those who live through the end, there cannot be anything less than perfect love, perfect faith, and trust, and perfect obedience. Why is the standard so high? It is because they must be in complete and total agreement with me on everything in order to be cleansed, sealed, and empowered by the Holy Spirit and protected after the close of probation when I have finished my atoning work in the Most Holy Place and shut the door of mercy.
I have talked to you about these matters before, but there are still many in my church who have completely accepted the Protestant version of righteousness by faith which teaches that the salvation process will not be finished until I perfect their characters at my coming. Not many realize that every sin must be cleansed from the life before the close of probation, which is prior to my coming. This issue needs to be made very clear in order to wake up my people to realize the seriousness of the few remaining days in which to prepare to be like Daniel, of whom no sin is recorded. He was rewarded by living through the fall of Babylon and serving into the reign of the next kingdom. You see, there are rewards for being faithful to the end, for this qualifies you to receive all the blessings of those who persevere and are faithful to the end of any task, calling, or journey.
And you, my beloved ones, are called to persevere to the end, to gain the victory over every sin, to run the race all the way to the finish line, and to display what the plan of salvation can do to save sinners completely from the power and presence of sin in their lives. If I were unable to demonstrate this to the watching universe after 6,000 years of the great controversy, I would lose the confidence and faith of the unfallen beings in my government, which has been Satan's plan from the beginning. So can you see how vital it is to understand these issues right now at the close of history? My government is based upon freedom to choose from experience and an enlightened mind.
From the beginning of the great controversy I have seen that I would have a victorious Remnant at the end of time who would transcend over every lie and every temptation of the devil, and keep my commandments through a faith relationship with me. [Rev. 12:17.] I now have that Remnant in you, my beloved ones, who are willing to persevere to the end. So your reward will be commensurate with your faith - You will live to see me come if you keep your faith strong by a continual connection with me. So if tempests roar and mountains fall into the sea and islands disappear, and the waters are turned to blood, yet will I not forsake you, for you have kept my Covenant of Love and nothing can destroy you because you are safe under the shadow of my wings until the storm is over, and I will take you home to eternal peace. That is your reward for never letting go of my hand! Lovingly Jesus.
