Category Archives: Eternity

Two professionals sitting and discussing business charts and strategy notes in an office
Accountability, Eternity, Glory, Judging, Judgment, Service, Works

WE WILL GIVE AN ACCOUNT

ROMANS 14:12

“So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.”

Have you ever been called into your boss’ office to give a report on your work? It can be intimidating, can’t it? If you have done your job well, there is usually nothing to worry about (unless your boss is just an ogre, lol). But if you’ve been slacking on the job or have not met goals that were set for you, you might me in for a little “woodshed” time. That is never comfortable. I always tried to avoid those kinds of meetings by doing what I was asked to the best of my ability.

Paul continues the discussion of the bema seat judgment for believers with today’s verse. He reminds us that we have to give an account of ourselves to the Lord and Master of the universe. Don’t skip over that first word, though. Paul writes, “So…” This participle in the Greek is ara and it is decisive. You could translate it as “no doubt, then, therefore, wherefore.” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance). No believer will be exempt from this. It doesn’t matter how long you were a Christian and how much you think you may have done for the Lord, you will give an account.

APPLICATION

But let’s take a look at that phrase “give an account.” Barnes says this phrase means, “That is, of his character and conduct; his words and actions; his plans and purposes. In the fearful arraignment of that day every work and purpose shall be brought forth and tried by the unerring standard of justice. As we shall be called to so fearful an account with God, we should not be engaged in condemning our brethren but should examine whether we are prepared to give up our account with joy, and not with grief.” I love how he points it back to Paul’s discussion earlier in this chapter about judging others.

The Greek for this phrase, however, is not anything elaborate or difficult to understand. It literally reads “will give a word.” We will have to explain ourselves. Afterall, at the time of this judgment we will not be able to justify our actions or lack of action. What has been done is done. I wonder if the Lord will ask us any questions. I don’t think so. All we can really say at this point is, “Here I am, Lord. These are the works I have done in Your name.” Then the fire will test them. Whoof!

And it is important to point out that we will give an account of ourself. No one is going to step up and defend our works for us. Nor will we be able to speak on behalf of someone else. Each believer will give an account for their own works. So, let me ask you, are your works fireproof? Will they pass the test? Make sure the works you are doing for Jesus are works He has initiated and blessed. Don’t do something and then ask the Lord to bless it. Ask Him first. If He says to do it and you do it as He instructs, I guarantee it will pass the test. Serve Him wisely.

Father, I want all my works to be done for Your glory and not mine.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Wooden signpost with arrows labeled 'Living' pointing left and 'Dying' pointing right on a rural dirt path.
Bible, dying, Eternal Life, Eternity, Living, Romans, Scripture

LIVE OR DIE

ROMANS 14:8

“for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.”

Living and dying. That’s really what it boils down to, isn’t it? How we decide to live our lives here on planet earth may determine the quality of our life and could determine the way we die. I am not afraid of dying. In fact, I welcome it. Before you call the crisis help line, I mean I have chosen to embrace the certainty of death knowing where I will be the instant I take my last breath. I am the Lord’s.

Paul says as much in today’s verse. He says, “whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” Paul wrote this letter to the Romans while he was in Corinth, almost a full decade before he was beheaded in Rome. Isn’t it ironic that he penned these words to the very city where he would die? Paul wasn’t afraid to die. He knew the Lord had him on a mission, and he was safe as long as he stayed in His will. God would take him home when He was ready for him and not a day sooner.

APPLICATION

In Philippians 1:21-22, Paul addresses this life or death question. “21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.” Even though death may be a welcome thing for a follower of Christ, God can still use us here to spread the Gospel. We have work to be done, or as Paul says, “fruitful labor.”

Look again at what Paul says. If we live, we live for the Lord. We live to glorify the Master. We live to please Him and live according to His will. While we are here on this earth, as a follower of Christ, I belong to Him. Everything I am, everything I own belongs to Him. I am nothing compared to Jesus. To borrow the words of John the Baptist in John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

And then when we die, we also belong to Him. As a follower of Christ, I am guaranteed a front row seat with Jesus. How about that? Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that we prefer to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. Wherever that may be, I am His. I will exist in eternity to glorify Him. Shouldn’t I be practicing that down here? I want to be well prepared to praise my Maker one day, don’t you?

Father God, I praise You that I am Yours whether I live or die.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Winding river through forested mountains leading to ocean at sunset
Bible, Creation, Creator, Eternity, Glory, Romans, Scripture

FROM, THROUGH AND TO

ROMANS 11:36

“For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

Let’s make something perfectly clear. Everything is from God. This whole universe rests in the palm of His hands. He placed the stars (all of them in all the galaxies) in place. Paul drives that point home in the last verse of Romans 11.

Paul’s use of these three prepositions (from, through and to) was not just a random thought. There are deep theological truths here. Here is what one commentary said about this verse. “All things are from God (primal cause), in so far as all things have proceeded from God’s creative power; through God (ground of mediate agency), in so far as nothing exists without God’s continuous operation; for God (final cause), in so far as all things serve the ends of God (not merely: the honour of God, as many think).” (Meyer’s NT Commentary) That’s pretty good, huh?

APPLICATION

This verse is very similar to a verse in Paul’s letter to the Colossians. In Colossians 1:16 we read, “for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.” That pretty much covers it, right? It was all created by, came through Him and is for Him.

In 1 Corinthians 8:6, Paul writes this thought again, “yet for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.” I really like that last phrase, “and we exist through Him.” Don’t forget that! We exist because of Him and through Him. I pray each day that my actions will only be what He wants to do through me. I don’t always do that, but that is my prayer.

So, as Paul concludes this chapter (I know, I know, there were no chapters in his letter), we find ourselves giving praise to the only true God. The last phrase of today’s verse is such a great way to finish this thought. May we all join Paul when he says, “To Him be the glory forever. Amen” Everything we do should bring Him glory. It is all for Him! Praise Him!

We praise You, O Lord, for all You have done, are doing and will continue to do for us.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Eternity, Faith, Hope, Romans, Salvation, Scripture

WHAT IS THIS HOPE?

ROMANS 8:24

“For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?”

I have hoped for a lot of things in my life. When I was younger, I hoped for toys at Christmas having dogeared about a hundred pages in the old Sears and Roebuck Christmas catalog. Who remembers that? Then I hoped for a car, a girlfriend, a job, etc. It seems I was hoping all the time. But you know what? When I got those things, I stopped hoping for them. Why? Because now I had them. Now I could see them.

Paul says something similar today in verse 24 of chapter 8. But the Greek text is a little tricky here. We need to make sure we understand it. First of all, there is no preposition in front of the first “hope.” It should read, “For hope…” The verb “saved” is in the Aorist which points back to a certain point. So, it should read as the NASB has it above or perhaps as “we were saved.” Put that all together. “For hope we were saved.” The second phrase is pretty clear, but let’s look at the last phrase. The verbs “hopes” and “sees” are both in the Present tense. So, they could be translated as “hoping” and “seeing.” It could therefore read, “for who is hoping for what he is seeing.”

APPLICATION

Okay, enough Greek for today. Right? Sorry about that, but sometimes the English just isn’t clear enough. But Paul’s message is. We hope for our future glorification. That’s what that first phrase says. “For hope we were saved.” For what hope? For the hope of eternity with Christ. For the hope of knowing Him fully one day. But it is a certain hope because He promised. Hebrews 11:1 tell us, “Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.” I love how Watchman Nee defines this. He refers to J.N. Darby’s New Translation which reads, “Faith is the substantiating of things hoped for.” Faith isn’t just a substance or certainty. It’s making this hope real.

So, I ask you, “What are you hoping for?” Well, Carl, I hope I make it to heaven. I’ve heard so many people who claim to be followers of Christ make that remark. How silly! Our eternal home is more than a hope. Our faith has substantiated that. Christ has promised us a home. Stop hoping and start believing.

What else are you hoping for? Good health? Good kids? Wealth? Listen, start placing all your faith in Him. He will decide what is best for you, not your hoping. Do you believe He wants what is best for you? Start trusting Him. Remember, hope that is seen is not hope. We have seen Jesus! He has saved us – period. All hope is settled by our faith in Him. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

My hope is built on nothing less that Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Belong, Bible, Dwelling, Eternity, Heaven, Holy Spirit, Indwelling, Romans, Scripture

BELONGING

ROMANS 8:9

“However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”

I belong to Jack and Mack (real names were James and Maxine) Willis from Pelham, GA. I have been able through a few genealogy sites to trace my Willis heritage back to Londonshire England and to the year 1555. I am from English, Scottish, Irish, Finish, French and Spanish bloodlines. Belonging to something means something. It is just natural for everybody to want to belong to someone else.

I just love how Paul says in today’s verse that if we do not have the Spirit, we do not belong to God. So, the opposite must be true. If we have the Spirit of God within us (which is only possible through faith in Christ Jesus), then we belong to the Father. Add that to the long line of my genealogy. I belong to God. And I will always belong to God. Nothing can separate me from His love.

APPLICATION

The Greek actually reads in that last phrase of the verse “he not is of Him.” We will see in the last verse of chapter 8 that nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (verse 39). Listen friend, if you are in Christ, there is nothing on earth or in the heavenlies that can separate you from Him. Nothing!

Our world doesn’t believe in that kind of love. Why? Because our love is so fickle. We fall into and out of love so easily, it seems. Forty years and beyond marriages are relics of the past. When we hear of someone having a 50 year marriage celebration, we stand in awe. My wife and I have hit forty, and I am praying we can make it to fifty or more. But God’s love has no end is sight. His love will continue throughout eternity.

That’s true belonging. Jesus told us He was going to prepare us a place. Jesus isn’t building a shanty. He is building us an eternal home. This will be a “belonging” home, one built with an eternal love. How is that even possible? Because it is being built with eternal products made in heaven. Can you even imagine? So, rest easy dear one. If you are in Christ, if the Spirit of God dwells in you, you belong to Him.

Dear God, I cannot even begin to comprehend Your eternal love for me. I am so thankful for it.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Christ, Death, Eternal Life, Eternity, Gifts, Jesus, Scripture, Sin, Wages

WAGES VS GIFTS

ROMANS 6:23

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Here we are again with another one of my Every Man A Warrior memory verses. We teach this verse to men to train them to share the gospel. Google “The Bridge Illustration” and you will find numerous examples. We use this verse because it spells out the Gospel so simply for anyone at any age. I actually have an App on my phone called “ShareYourFaith” which uses the Bridge Illustration also. Check it out.

Paul brings us to the end of chapter 6 (of course, there were no chapters in his letters) with this familiar verse. I want us to look at the key words of this verse today – wages, sin, death, gift, eternal life, Christ Jesus. And the biggest word in the verse is right in the middle – but. That word changes everything. Everything said in the first half of the verse is trumped by what is said in the second. But…a little word with big implications.

APPLICATION

“…the wages of sin is death,… We earn death (our wages) because of our sin. Since the fall of man in the garden of Eden, man has been held liable for their sins. The punishment for Adam’s disobedience was death, first a physical death. Then, if that sin was not atoned for, a spiritual death. Since Adam mankind has suffered these deaths. There is no way of escaping this punishment in and of ourselves. We cannot earn back our physical or spiritual life.

BUT… God had a plan from the foundation of the world. He knew what would happen in the garden. If He had not known, He would not be much of a God. And even though He knew the choice Eve and then Adam would make, He did not intervene to stop them. They had to decide on their own to obey Him. If He forced their obedience, they would rebel against that. You see, Jesus was not God’s plan B. He was always the plan.

“…the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” As Paul Harvey used to say, “Now, the rest of the story.” God gives us a gift. It cost us nothing. It’s free. We just have to accept it. What is that gift? Eternal life with Jesus. Hold on, Carl. What’s the catch? No catch. You see, that’s what causes so many to stumble. They are looking for the hook in this gift. God loves you so much that He sent His Son to die for you (John 3:16). If you haven’t accepted that gift yet, do it today. If you have, give Him praise for this inexhaustible gift that has brought billions of people into His kingdom. There is always room for one more.

This world doesn’t know how to accept free gifts. Thank You for giving so freely so I can live with You.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Christ, Death, Eternity, Family, Scripture, Sin

YOU TOO

ROMANS 6:11

“So you too, consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

Have you ever been with a group of people who you just met and they said, “Hey, why don’t you join us this weekend for a roadtrip?”? I mean, you had just met them and were already being invited to be a part of the group. The weekend promised to allow you to get to know them better and develop some deeper friendships. What fun!

Similarly, we are invited, through our decision to follow Christ, to join Him for eternity. Now, that’s fun! Look at the verse. Paul says, “So you too…” The Greek literally reads, “So also you.” In other words, you are included in all that Paul has been talking about for the past several verses (go back and read verses 1-10). All that Christ did was to allow us to be a part of His family. What a great promise from the Father.

APPLICATION

The Expositor’s Greek Testament says this about today’s verse, “In this verse the application is made of all that precedes. The death with Christ, the life with Christ, are real, yet to be realised. The truth of being a Christian is contained in them, yet the calling of the Christian is to live up to them. We may forget what we should be; we may also (and this is how Paul puts it) forget what we are. We are dead to sin in Christ’s death; we are alive to God in Christ’s resurrection; let us regard ourselves as such in Christ Jesus.”

Don’t you just love that? I love the last phrase above that says, “let us regard ourselves as such in Christ Jesus.” All that we are promised is only possible because of Jesus. He paid the ultimate price for our sins. He was sinless but gave His blood to pay the ransom for our sins. Can you ever truly ever get over the fact that He has invited you to come along with Him? I sure can’t.

The Greek word translated as “alive” is zao which means “to live, experience God’s gift of life.” (HELPS Word-studies) It is actually better translated as “living.” We should be living to God, as we talked about in yesterday’s blog. We are to be constantly striving to be more and more like Him. I want my life to be a shining example of my walk with Jesus. Don’t you? Then walk with Him daily. You are dead to sin and alive in Him. Celebrate that.

O Lord, I give You thanks for “bringing me along” on a journey with You.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Eternity, Glorify, Glory, Heaven, Life, Scripture

LIVE TO GOD

ROMANS 6:10

“For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all time; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.”

It’s funny how your life changes from season to season. I’m talking about seasons of life. When I was younger and single, I lived for Carl. All I thought about was doing what was good for me. I wasn’t a horrible person, but my priority was ME. When I got married and had children all that changed. Now, my priority was to my family. I worked to provide for them. I lived to protect them, to teach my children and hopefully live a life worth imitating in the eyes of God. Priorities shift, don’t they?

Jesus’s priorities never shifted. Before He came to earth, He lived to give glory to God. As a man on earth, He lived a life that pointed every to God. And now that He is in heaven, He still lives to point everything to His Father. Talking about consistency! Paul tells us in today’s verse, “the life that He lives (meaning now in heaven at the righthand side of the Father), He lives to God.” He points us all to the glory of the Father.

APPLICATION

Barnes has a wonderful explanation of Jesus’ life now and what that means for us as Christ’s followers. “He seeks to promote his glory. The argument of Paul is this: Christians by their profession are united to him. They are bound to imitate him. As he now lives only to advance the glory of God; as all his mighty power, now that he is raised from the dead, and elevated to his throne in heaven, is exerted to promote his glory; so should their powers, being raised from the death of sin, be exerted to promote the glory of God.”

Do you measure your plans and decisions against that metric? Are you seeking to give glory to the Father? It is so easy to make our plans and decisions and then ask the Father to bless them. Instead, we should be going to the Father first and ask Him what His plans are. Do you recall Jeremiah 29:11? “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’”

Before you make a list of New Year’s resolutions, consult the Lord. He may change your path drastically. He may point you toward someone you need to disciple. But whatever you do, be like Jesus and point it all to God. Give Him the glory for all He does in and through you.

Father God, You have ordained my days and given me a path to follow. I want to stay close by Your side each and every day.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Death, Eternity, Freedom, Salvation, Scripture, Sin

TRUE FREEDOM

ROMANS 6:7

“for the one who has died is freed from sin.”

Why do we, as followers of Christ, get so sad and upset at the passing of another believer? Yes, there are emotions involved. Yes, we will miss that family member or friend. But if we stop and think about it, that fellow believer is now in the presence of our Savior and is truly free from sin. Wow! That is really something to celebrate. I don’t want my family and friends to grieve when I’m gone. Have a party! Celebrate my homegoing. I will not want to return here, I promise. Neither would you.

Paul states very clearly and unequivocably the truth of our salvation. There’s not a hidden truth here. It’s right there in plain sight. Paul isn’t talking about our physical death. He’s referring to our spiritual death to sin. Our old master no longer has power over us. We who were slaves to sin are now free. Hallelujah! Praise Jesus! The shackles have fallen off.

APPLICATION

In 2000 Mary Mary recorded a song entitled “Shackles (Praise You). I love the chorus of this song which says:

Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance
I just wanna praise You (what’cha wanna do?)
I just wanna praise You (yeah, yeah)
You broke the chains, now I can lift my hands (uh, feel me?)
And I’m gonna praise You (what’cha gon’ do?)
I’m gonna praise You

When we become freed from the sins that so easily entangle us, we do want to dance. Am I right? The power of sin is gone. Sure, we are still in its presence. We see that every day. But the control it had on our lives is finished. 1 Peter 4:1 comes to mind. “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because the one who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,” Isn’t that awesome?

What is holding you down right now spiritually? Cast it aside in Jesus’ name. Claim victory right now over the temptations that bombard you. It may be greed, gluttony, immorality, anger… You know your poison, don’t you? Do not let it have mastery over you anymore. You are indeed free because you have died with Christ and were buried with Him. But don’t forget that you were also resurrected through Him to walk in newness of life. Now, go do that.

Father God, I praise You for breaking the shackles of sin in my life and allowing me to walk in victory!

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Baptism, Bible, Christ, Death, Eternity, Jesus, Salvation, Scripture

BAPTIZED

ROMANS 6:3

“Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?”

I was baptized at the age of 8, and it didn’t mean a thing spiritually. Let me explain. I did not know Christ then. I knew about Christ. I had grown up in church. So, when my older sister went down one Sunday to talk to the preacher, I went too. That’s just what kids did, right? Then at the age of 16, I truly gave my life to Christ and was rebaptized as a believer. I will never forget that day. I truly knew Christ then. Was I sinless? Far from it, but I had a hunger to know Christ and His fullness.

Paul continues to use the Aorist tense in today’s verse to explain our baptism into Christ and His death. That means it happened back at a certain point (when we surrender to His will and became a follower of Christ). Paul is not talking about the physical act of baptism with water, even though it is the perfect picture of our salvation. Paul is referring to the spiritual realm and what happens at salvation. We enter into Christ’s family and are free from the sin that had us in its grip.

APPLICATION

But let’s think about baptism for a minute. I love baptizing people. I usually say when I dunk someone and bring them out of the water. “I baptize you, my brother (or sister) in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Buried with Him and His death, raised to walk in newness of life.” There’s nothing magical about those words. It just gives a context to the physical act.

If you are believer, you should be baptized. There’s literally no reason why you shouldn’t be. I’ve heard all kinds of excuses like I am afraid of water or I’m too shy to do that in front of people. Listen, nothing should stop you. The late Dr. Charles Stanley said once, “You don’t have to be baptized to get to heaven, but you’ll get there as a disobedient one.” That’s kind of harsh, but you get the picture. It’s an obedience thing.

If you have been baptized into Christ and His death, make that known by the way you live. Every act should represent Christ in your life. Sin should flee from you as you submit daily to the Holy Spirit’s leading. He will never direct you toward sin, but instead always away. So, if you feel you are being tempted in some way, know that has nothing to do with Christ but has everything to do with your flesh. Die to that and live in Christ.

Lord, I am so glad my life is buried under the blood of Christ and I am now alive in Him.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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