“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
–John 3:36
As a sort of thought experiment, this writer recently spent a significant amount of mind time contemplating EXPERIENCES.
For all of the minutes spent on the topic, there were only a FEW observations which are worth being reprinted.
Those are presented below.
1- When one is a heathen, one has the SAME experiences one has had (up to that point in life) as a born again believer.
NOW, though one’s EXPERIENCES may be the same whether one is a believer or an abject, lost pagan does NOT really matter much. It is the EXPERIENCES one has AFTER one is born again which make the born again believer, not only a NEW creation, but a TOTALLY COMMITTED one as well.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
–2CORINTHIANS 5:17
The tares (those folks who ACT like they are honest-to-goodness, real Christians) do NOT have these EXPERIENCES because they have never been born again. Therefore, they can EASILY dismiss someone else’s EXPERIENCES as delusional or otherwise NOT valid.
In actuality, the tare attempts to lure others into his snares WITHOUT having a complete knowledge of what he is talking about.
This makes the tare UNCONVINCING, at best, among all but the most deceived of men.
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
–John 3:3
2- A person may have the EXACT, SAME EXPERIENCES as he had beforehand, but he may have a DIFFERENT outlook. This colors the EXPERIENCES to such a degree as to change them in the mind of the person who experienced them.
This may change the experiences FOR the BETTER: IF one is born-again.
This may change the experiences FOR the WORSE: IF one is a non-believer.
For example, the person may have experiences which he simply CANNOT explain using the knowledge stored in his mind. These EXPERIENCES happened and they happened in such a way as the one having them KNEW they were REAL.
When one is born again (spiritually), one obtains MUCH new information which helps explain these mysterious events.
The one who is born again ALSO (eventually) determines the TRUTH of a matter which may have eluded him when he depended on the stories of the world.
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”
–John 16:13
3- A TOTALLY COMMITTED pagan will REMAIN a pagan as long as he does NOT change any of his EXPERIENCES with the new, spiritual birth.
“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
–John 3:5
Without a proper frame of reference, those EXPERIENCES will cause the pagan to casually dismiss those EXPERIENCES he has NOT had.
4- A man’s EXPERIENCES determine a man’s final, eternal destination. God’s everlasting MERCY is activated by a TRULY SINCERE belief on His Son, Jesus Christ.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
–John 3:16-17
5- So many have the name of Jesus on their lips, but do not otherwise believe on Jesus–unless their world is caving in. Do NOT let the EXPERIENCES the reader has NOT YET HAD ruin a perfectly good eternity.
For a trouble-free eternity: let the love of God change the reader’s EXPERIENCES.
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
–Romans 5:8
6- Let the guessing begin!
Modern man and the Corporate Media of modern man spends a LOT of resources emphasizing how great EXPERIENCES are, compared to OTHER forms of evidence.
Can the reader guess why this is?
The Women’s World Cup featured eight new teams that treasured the experience gained on global stage
Business Uses of a Modern Experience Platform
HOW Desert Reign Church Brings Inspiring New Digital Experiences to Congregation
EXPERIENCE is a form of evidence; a form of proof. EXPERIENCE when one is a believer is usually MUCH different from the EXPERIENCES one has as a non-believer.
Does the reader have any guesses as to why this might be?
Yes, experience is a wonderful tool for reference. The RIGHT experience is a particularly valuable tool in which to frame one’s past.
One’s EXPERIENCES are a valuable resource to refer to when attempting to figure out ‘why this all is the way it is?’
In which set of EXPERIENCES will the reader participate?
7- Some moderns want others to substitute EXPERIENCES for any other type of evidence they may enjoy.
CAN the reader guess why this might be?
The reader should be aware that EXPERIENCES can be manipulated to serve the purposes of the manipulator.
It is not YET too late–although time is surely running out: there is still a LITTLE time to change direction (repent), place your faith (hope) for the future entirely on Jesus Christ and enter the kingdom of heaven.
DOES the reader believe he is saved?
Make Your Calling and Election Sure: End Times Survival
DOES the reader believe he is NOT saved?
Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation
THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. ”
—1 Corinthians 15:1-8
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16
MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report
A Reminder: The Gospel is Simple
[Portions of this piece appeared originally in End Times Prophecy Headlines: July 31, 2023.]
MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report
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by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier
image: Image by John Hain from Pixabay.com
© Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report, 2012-23. © Mondo Frazier and End Times Prophecy Report, DBKP 2007-2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.