Dwell In The Love Of God

Yes, I kept my vows, and they lifted me;
My self respect was battered, but intact;
No promise broken; from none was I free;
No matter the cost keeping might exact!
From some I yearned for escape and did ache,
But to keep my conscience a faithful friend,
I had to follow it without one break,
Never failing all her advice attend!
The more ignored, the less insistent she,
Unless, at last, her voice fell fore'er mute;
Rebuffed too much, her owner counsel-free,
And God, as well, does withhold His pursuit!
Keep all your vows, and your conscience as well
Hark to her voice; in the love of Jesus dwell!

Well, at last, here is the secret to remaining in the love of Jesus: Follow your conscience without exception! When you accept Jesus as Lord of your life, use your will power to study the Bible and learn His commandments for living, and then adhere to the advice of your conscience by following its urges, you will remain steadily in His love, and He will not lead you astray. The Holy Spirit becomes the voice of conscience, if you let Him; woe be to the one who doesn't follow His voice, for in time, He will quit advising him, and Satan will become his guide!

"They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness." (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12)

That's correct; you read it rightly. God is patient and loving, but if you refuse His invitation time after time, He will halt the invitations and take steps to solidify your condition of lostness and insure your condemnation at your death. That is terrible to contemplate, but it is true. Christians know that they will receive punishment in this life as discipline and because their life after death will contain no punishment (See 1 Corinthians 11). Therefore, they rejoice even in punishment, for it is proof to them that they are in God's love. God doesn't punish lost people in this life, for they will receive eternal punishment. (There are exceptions both ways, because the Bible says, "God causes rain to fall on the just and unjust.") If you are enjoying life, not suffering very much, and think it is because there is no God, you couldn't be farther from the truth!