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Everything belongs to the Lord.
"Behold, to the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth, and everything on it.”
- Deuteronomy 10:14
"The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it."
- Psalm 24:1
Everything on earth is temporary and mundane. Our home here is not permanent; it is on loan from the Lord.
Hebrews 13:14 states, "For here we do not have a permanent city, but we are looking for the city that is to come."
2 Corinthians 5:1 says, "For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands."
From dust we are born, and unto dust we end our lives on earth.
Ecclesiastes 3:20 states, "All go to the same place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again."
While on earth, we are commanded by Jesus Christ and Moses first to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27, Deuteronomy 6:5).
Secondly, we are commanded to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39, Leviticus 19:18).
Since our command is to love, the goal is to love in a way that expresses our deepest love, respecting and honoring the Lord and all of the Lord's creation, from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and sincere faith.
1 Timothy 1:5 states, "The aim of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith."
When we love and be love, and connect to the Holy Spirit from a pure heart, clear conscience, and sincere faith, the Lord's spiritual blessings and gifts are granted to us.
Those with the special gift of spiritual empathy can truly prophesy with empathic vision and clarity, not in grandiose delusions or disrespectful, sacrilegious overreach into what is the Lord's.
1 Corinthians 14:1 states, "Make love your aim, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy."
Moreover, people who sin arrogantly, perversely, and with evil intent are condemned by the Lord and waste their gifts that could have accomplished good deeds (Isaiah 32:7).
Proverbs 8:13 states, "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior, and perverse speech."
Zechariah 8:17 states, "Let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbor, and love no false oath. For all these are things that I hate," says the LORD.
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Finally, remember that salvation is only possible for those who follow the Lord’s will, which includes obeying the commandments and covenants, and being able to connect and receive love and peace from the Holy Spirit in our hearts.
Matthew 7:21 states, "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
John 15:10 states, "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love."
Titus 3:5-7 emphasizes that salvation is by the Lord's mercy through the Holy Spirit, not by works.
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Note:
Though salvation cannot be earned, good works sowed, fulfills our created purpose of stewardship (Genesis 2:15).
Ephesians 2:10: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them".
Lastly, without good works there is no realization of faith, for “faith without good works is dead” (James 2:17).
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