Biblical Success - Running Our Race - Run for Eternal SuccessSample

So, if we define success as fulfilling God’s plan for our lives and do so by obeying Him and walking in His plan, and doing the works He planned for us, then we must ask, “How can we know what His plans are or what He wants us to do?” For us, in our day, we have been given two primary tools; His written Word, the Holy Bible, to teach and guide us in His ways, and His Spirit to live within us to guide us to know and understand and apply them. God doesn't play games like "hide and seek" with us. He loves us so much and passionately wants us to know Him and His plan for our lives.

God has appointed Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, and Pastors and Teachers in His church to equip us for “the work of ministry” that “God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” The work of ministry is why we are still here after we are saved. No matter what we do, we can’t become “more saved.” Our salvation is not by works, but it is to do works. We gather in a building to learn how to be the Church in the world where our Father has planted us as we go about our lives as Ambassadors for Christ 24/7. (Ephesians 4:11,12)(II Corinthians 5:20)

But what is the Bible to a believer? Again, many possible answers may be given, but only one matters. The Bible is, in fact, The Word of God spoken through men, that His Spirit inspired them to write with perfect accuracy what they heard Him say, which is totally true. Why does it matter if it is totally true? Because if any part of it is untrue, then any other part may also be untrue, or all of it may be untrue. If it is untrue, it can’t and shouldn’t be believed, and if it is untrue, how can we know about what Jesus taught and said or even that He existed at all? If we can ignore one part, then we may ignore any part. We can be so very thankful that it is true and that we can build our lives on it as a rock

What has all this to do with Eternal Success? Just everything! Success for a Christian will be to exit this life and pass through the Judgement Seat of Christ (II Corinthians 5:10), where our “works” will be evaluated by Jesus and tested by fire, and to hear Him say, “Well done good and faithful servant! To hear these words spoken over us should be our ultimate goal and measure of success.

What will the judgment of Christ be like, and what will Jesus be looking for? It will be a personal "performance review" with just us and Jesus. He will basically want to know, “What did you do with what I died to give you?” What did He die to give us? Ephesians 2:10 says,

“For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus, to do good works that God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

He’ll test our “works” and want to know what we did with what God gave us to work with and created us to use. (I Corinthians 3:11-15) Or perhaps better said, what we allowed Him to do through our obedience to His Spirit. Simple obediences in thousands of daily opportunities that occur as we run the race He sets before us as His disciples and Ambassadors to those around us.

Tonight spend some thought and prayer about what we have discussed thus far. What do you believe the Bible is? and who is Jesus to you? Really.