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Continuing our discussion from part one, please notice that in the previous verses, Jesus says "Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness." As I explain in other articles such as "Apostasy of Oprah Winfrey: America's False Prophetess?" and "Lying Wonders of the Endtime", there are in fact certain people in the world today who think, have deceived themselves into believing, and even pretend to have the Light of Jesus Christ, but who in fact are really walking in total spiritual darkness. Sadly, they even refer to their so-called spiritual enlightenment as the "Christ light", or as "Christ consciousness". Some of these foolish people call themselves New Age lightworkers. However, consider the truth that is revealed in the following verses and be warned:

"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"


"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."


"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;"


"But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived."


"And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know."


"For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock."


Returning to our main theme regarding the fact that we are God's true Children of Light, one of these days our job as the Lord's emissaries and Ambassadors of Light on the Earth will be over. Once we have each accomplished the mission that God has given to us in this world, by sharing the Light and Truth of His Word with others, we will be promoted to a Higher Realm -- that is, to the Heavenly Realm -- and we'll take our rightful place in the Lord's Kingdom of Light. If we have been faithful, and have given a stellar performance while here on the Earth, God's Word promises us that we will be rewarded quite handsomely. This becomes evident by the following set of inspiring verses:

"If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?"


"And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."


"For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works."


"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."


"There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body."


"And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:"


". . . I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works."


"And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them."


"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection . . . And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works."


Clearly then, as I point out in such articles as "Parable of the Sower: Salvation and Service" and "Sluggards and Sloths", while our works may not save us, they most certainly have a direct influence on the degree of our reward in the Heavenly Realm. It is imperative then that we each remain faithful and busy for the Lord, and that we do not slack off in our service to our Eternal King.

In light of everything that I have just shared with you in this article, I hope that you can now see that taking the time to accept Jesus Christ as one's Lord and Savior is not such an unimportant decision after all, is it? In fact, it becomes evident from the preponderance of Biblical evidence that I have shared with you here, that it is indeed without a doubt the most important decision that we will ever make. It is a decision which has far-reaching ramifications; even beyond this current life. As the Prophet Daniel wrote many years ago:

"And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."


Shame and everlasting contempt. Who wants that? But that is precisely what many people will get if they fail to make the right decision concerning Christ when their time comes. They will be doomed for all of eternity. Tragically, Jesus warned that this road to destruction would in fact be the path that many foolish and rebellious people will take, as we see by the following verses:

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."


On the other hand, if an individual humbly acknowledges their shortcomings and sins, and chooses to embrace God's amazing Love, Mercy and Forgiveness through Jesus Christ, they will become one of His stellar Children of Light who will forever live with Him in His Kingdom of Light. For those of us who accept Jesus, the Bible informs us that God will not only be our Heavenly Father forever, but He will also be our Father of Lights in whom is no darkness at all. Furthermore, as we saw earlier, we -- His Children of Light -- will shine like stars for eternity. Consider the following inspiring verses:

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."


"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."


So what it really comes down to are these simple questions: Do you know and believe in your heart that you are a sinner? Do you realize that it is only through faith in Jesus' blood Atonement and Sacrifice on the Cross that you can be forgiven for your sins? Have you accepted Jesus' Sacrifice so that you can be spiritually cleansed and saved?

If you are not certain how to answer these questions; and if you do not yet have the full assurance of Eternal Life; and if you cannot say with certainty that you are one of God's Children of Light; isn't it time that you do something about it? Do you want to come out of the darkness? It is never too late. In fact, you can experience God's Saving Grace through Jesus Christ this very minute. All that is required is faith and belief in your heart. If you are not sure what to say as your confession of faith, following is a sample prayer which you can use as a guide. Obviously, you do not have to pray these exact words. The most important thing is that whatever words you choose to use, they come from your heart:

"Heavenly Father, I know that I am not perfect. I have made my share of mistakes in this life. I realize that I am a sinner. In spite of this, I know that You love me; and that this is why You sent your Son, Jesus Christ. I accept that Jesus gave His life on the Cross for my sins. I ask You now to please forgive me for my sins through the Blood of Your Son. I also ask that You please grant me Eternal Life, so that I might live forever in Your holy Kingdom of Light as one of Your Children of Light. I also ask that You fill my life with Your Spirit. Please help me to take more time to read and understand Your Word, the Bible. As I do, please help me to begin sharing your Love and Light with others by telling them about Jesus, so that they may know You too. Thank you Father for hearing my prayer. In Your Son, Jesus' name, I humbly ask. Amen."

If you have asked for Forgiveness, and acknowledged Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior through the previous sample prayer, or by means of a similar Salvation prayer, please know that you are now, by faith, a saved Child of God, and one of God's Children of Light. Although you may not have experienced any sudden onslaught of emotions, it does not really matter. As I explain in articles such as "Faith and the Shroud of Turin", our Salvation is a matter of faith and belief in the Promises which we find in God's Word. It is not a matter of experiencing certain feelings in the flesh, or any other outside stimuli.

What you have just now accepted by faith will someday become actual reality in the Kingdom of God. Until that day arrives when God the Father chooses to take you Home to be with Him, it is important that you keep your eyes on Jesus, because He is the Author and the Finisher of our faith, as we can see by the following verse:

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."


It is likewise important that you realize that just as Jesus is the only one who can save us to begin with, He is also the only one who can keep us saved as well, contrary to what some people believe and teach. We cannot keep ourselves saved, no matter what we do. This becomes evident by verses such as the following which demonstrate the contrast between God's saving Grace and self-righteous works of the flesh:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."


"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"


"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."


Because God the Father is the one who began this work of Grace in us, we have the assurance that He will finish or complete it as well. This is precisely what we are taught in the following set of verses:

"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"


"For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."


"If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself."


"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."


As a young Christian, it is extremely important that you strive to strengthen your faith. A key way in which we do this is by immersing ourselves in the sincere milk of God's Word. Consider the following set of verses which confirm this point:

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."


"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."


"Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."


"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:"


"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."


"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."


As I mentioned a moment ago, at this point in your New Life in Christ, as a newborn Child of Light, studying God's Word is the most important thing that you can do. Your spiritual survival depends on feeding yourself with His Word; because not only will it nourish your soul and provide you with the spiritual strength and stamina that you need, but it will also keep you on the Path of Light as well. As King David was inspired to write in the Book of Psalms:

"NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."


I cannot overstress the importance of this particular point. It is imperative that you partake daily of the Bread of Life, and that you drink from the Fountains of Living Water of His Word. You may want to begin by reading Psalm 119, being as it will clearly demonstrate to you how King David also realized the importance of God's Word. After that, I suggest that you initiate an earnest study of God's Word, beginning with the four Gospels. That is, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Not only are the Gospels full of many wonderful, precious jewels which you can apply to your own life, but you will also learn a lot about your Savior, Jesus Christ, as well.

To assist you in your studies of God's Word, as you may have already realized, I have written many articles over the past twenty+ years which cover a wide range of interesting topics, and which contain literally thousands of some of the best and most loved verses that are found in the entire KJV Bible. I encourage you to read them, and to use them as supplements to your personal Bible studies. If you feel so led, it would be wonderful if you would also consider sharing my articles with your family and friends as well. Please read them slowly, prayerfully and carefully. If you do, you will discover that they contain many jewels of wisdom for those people who have a difficult time understanding the Bible. However, if you are in a hurry, you might misunderstand something, or even miss it altogether.

Allow me to share with you another verse that's found in the Old Testament Book of Proverbs for your consideration. Now that you are -- by faith -- one of the Lord's new Children of Light, I believe that you will appreciate this verse:

"But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day."


What a wonderful promise! As we continue to obey and trust in the Lord, by walking along the Path of Light, we are indeed getting closer to the Perfect Day in which we will be called Home to be with the Lord. In a symbolic sense, the longer we remain on the Path of Light, the brighter it becomes, because we are getting closer and closer to Jesus. In addition, we'll shine brighter and brighter as His stars and as His Children of Light, and our Heavenly rewards will continue to increase. As Jesus Himself taught us in the Gospel of Matthew:

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."


With these thoughts, I will bring this article to a close. It is my hope that you have found it informative, enlightening, and I pray that it has been a blessing in your life as well. If you have an account with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or with any other social network, I would really appreciate if you'd take the time to click or tap on the corresponding link that is found on this page. Thanks so much, and may God bless you abundantly!

For additional information and further study, you may want to refer to the list of reading resources below which were either mentioned in this article, or which contain topics which are related to this article. All of these articles are likewise located on the Bill's Bible Basics web server. To read these articles, simply click or tap on any link you see below.

A Verse a Day to Keep the Doubts Away
All Are Given a Chance, But . . .
Apostasy of Oprah Winfrey: America's False Prophetess?
Are You a Burning Ember For the Lord?
Christian Witnessing: Winning the Sheep and Waging the Warfare
Faith and the Shroud of Turin
Going Down the Highway
Have You Sold Your Soul for a Pound of Flesh?
Is the Message of Salvation Meant for All Men?
Lying Wonders of the Endtime
Many Are Called But Few Are Chosen
Message to the World
Not Everyone is a Child of God
Once Upon a Time: A True Story
Parable of the Sower: Salvation and Service
Sluggards and Sloths
The Blood Atonement: In Jesus' Own Words
This Little Light, Glory of the Lord and Our Bright Future

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