I have noted that many people acknowledge death and not eternal life. Sometimes I wake up from the middle of a nap and the first thing that washes over me is a fear of death. I imagine it being a never ending state where I am not awake but instead trapped and unable to move and think as I am doing so at this present time. How does one have hope in heaven and eternal life?
If you live a life of intimacy with Jesus here on earth and seek to know Him, you will have the hope to ressurect.
Also if you die to your sins in his death and live in His ressurection power, you will live in the hope of His going.
PLEASE READ WITH ALL YOUR HEART WHEN YOU HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO REFLECT
Hello, i will advice you to hear the sermons of Leonard Ravenhill on "repentance", "the bride prepared" and other sermons. We can have the "wish" and "will" to stop sinning but unless we make a conscious and firm decision to die to our sins in the death of Jesus Christ and live in His resurrection power (that is, believing that He did not only die but resurrected) we might end up living our lives with an unaccomplished "will" to "stop sinning". For this we need to
1. Acknowledge that there are sins in our lives.
2. Know (list) them and decide what we want to do about them.
3. Do we really want to get rid of these?
This is the point where we realise if we are "willing whatever cost it makes" to live a life of repentance.
4. Always pray and seek God vehemently to help us live a life which pleases Him (to glorify Him) and to stop sinning.
5. While doing the above start replacing bad habits with good habits.
Christian life requires discipline in all things (praying, sleeping, working, eating, etc) and self-denial.
If you live with the purpose of following Christ, you will suddenly see that other things are no distraction to you anymore since you are disciplined and have an aim at hand. If you set your mind on Christ and on the things that are above and discipline yourself and crucify your flesh [put your fleshly desires (gluttony, love of materials, sexual immorality) under subordination], you will also see that this is the battle in the Christian life (because the flesh and the spirit fight against teach other) and you will be more focused on Christ.
The flesh and the spirit fight against each other because our spirit wants to follow Christ but our flesh (old man) refuses to die with Jesus on the cross and therefore how can the new man come if the old has not died?
Jesus gave the parable in
Luke 5:36-39 kjv
36 And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.
37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.
38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.
39 No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.
This is the reason why you find it difficult to stop sinning. You are used to your old lifestyle or sinful nature (vs. 39).
No matter what many people tell you, it is still YOUR DECISION to renounce your old nature and follow Christ.
Even Jesus himself said REPENT. No one can be forced to, but all must make a choice.
Joshua said to the unrepenting Israelites (in the book of
Joshua 24:15 kjv) who followed other gods just like we follow the world, its ways and its sins:
15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
So what is your decision?
You can have all the WILL and WISHES in the world but unless you make a decision and stand firm, repentance will be difficult.
Stay blessed, think and pray about it.