Chapter 23

It is of no value to decide what you want to accomplish - before you decide what you want to be. At the end of your life, it will be too late to announce your intentions; for it is of no use to say you want to sit when it has become impossible to stand. Who you are - will determine the direction, quality, and eventual results of your life. We addicts often have identity crisis problems, and learn to acclimatize ourselves to whatever seems necessary at any moment in time; this is sometimes called being a chameleon. Today, right now, you can make a decision to turn your life over to God and be who He wants you to be, and never turn back, never change again.

Though a great deal of consideration to proper moral behavior should be deliberately offered, it is a terrible mistake to falsely assume obedience to The Ten Commandments or adherence to moral guidelines alone ensures you a place in Heaven. Please remember that morality (or the Law of Human Nature) is given to us for the human machine to run properly. Just like a set of instructions for a complex machine, if ignored, the machine breaks down. It is for our own good, and God is intensely interested in us functioning correctly.

From a theological standpoint (theology means the science and study of God), all our good behavior alone does not earn us salvation. In Isaiah 64:6 we find this message “… and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…” (NIV) Again, we find in Romans 3:10 “… there is no one righteous, not even one…” (NIV) And finally, we find Jesus said in John 14:6 “… I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (NIV)

In the Bible, the word heaven does not appear in the books where God gives the Law. There is also no verse anywhere that says if we keep the commandments, we will go to heaven. This is important to understand clearly: good people do not go to heaven on their own steam; we are completely dependent on Jesus to get us through. Only forgiven people go to Heaven. Trusting in Christ alone will get you to Heaven; and it naturally follows that disciples (or followers) of Christ seek to follow His moral precepts (which are so beautifully laid out in the gospels).

Now, if we have specific moral instructions to follow, it would be unthinkably foolish to disregard them. A great collection of moral virtues is located in Galatians 5:22, which lists “… love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Since we are commanded to love, let us discover the most beautiful description known to us which is found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, and it says “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (NIV)

As clearly established, every answer we need is found neatly tucked away in our Bible, awaiting our discovery. It is a wonderful tool given to us, which has literally led countless billions of people over many thousands of years to a healthy walk in faith. And if you follow Christ, the retirement plan is out of this world.