ONCE UPON A TIME

There are many who say they believe in God but they do not obey God. Why? This is because believing is not the same as obeying.

Look at Jonah; he believed God was the one that spoke to him to go to Nineveh. He believed it was Nineveh God wanted him to go. But he disobeyed and went to Tarshish. He believed in God, yet disobeyed God. He landed in the belly of a fish. The belly of a fish is symbolic of hell – the place where disobedience leads to ultimately. “Every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation…” (Hebrews 2:2-3).  

The same way, many who believe(d) and accepted Jesus and become Born Again eventually turn around and disobey His words and pattern for the saved life. They are like those who once sang, “Hail Him, Hail Him,” but alas they ended up with “Crucify Him, Crucify Him.” Question: Did they once know Him? Yes! Then what happened? Their testimonies and salvation became ONCE UPON A TIME!

Believing is not the same as obeying. Believing puts your name in the Book of Life; obeying keeps your name in the Book of Life. Believing is not made perfect without obeying. The same way, salvation without a consistent life of obedience is not complete. Believing in itself is obedience, but for believing to be made perfect, there has to be consistent obedience. This is what the Bible means by “When your obedience is complete” (2 Corinthians 10:6b). Even Jesus perfected salvation through obedience: “Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things He suffered: And being made perfect…” (Hebrews 5:8, 9a).

Many people who once believed and were saved perhaps years ago but now living in some kind of disobedience still assume the names that were once written in the Lamb’s Book of Life are still there. This is a costly assumption. The names truly entered the Book of Life at that point of becoming born again. However, that event becomes ONCE UPON A TIME if a man lives contrary to God’s word.

Let me explain something important here. When you become saved, something happens in Heaven, and this is called “The joy of salvation” (Psalm 50:12). This is what Jesus talks about “Joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repents” (Luke 15:7).

This joy means many things in Heaven. Once this joy reverberates in Heaven, Jesus’ words become expressed on your behalf; “In my Father’s house are many mansions…I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). The mansions in Heaven are for these categories of people: one, the saints of God already in Heaven; two, those on earth who are already Born Again and living according to the eternal will of God (praying, winning souls, helping others, etc). There are also abandoned mansions in Heaven; these ones belong to those who once knew God but backslidded. Work ceases on a mansion once that person backslides. And should that person dies and goes to hell, the work becomes permanently suspended and the house is closed up. This is what happened to Judas Iscariot. Jesus showed someone the mansion of Judas, and it was locked up and something like “closed forever” or so written on it.

Now, when you become Born Again, your name enters the Book of Life. This is almost the same time Heaven sounds with joy on your behalf. More so, this is when your building starts in Heaven. Those who got Born Again at the point of death and never had any eternal investments, they go to Heaven and they live in houses not comparable to those of God’s children who have laboured and worked for the kingdom.

What then happens if someone who was once Born Again becomes lukewarm and backslides (whether in his heart without people knowing but God knows, or in his ways which is obvious to all)? The person’s name is removed from the Book of Life. The work on his/her mansion stops temporary. This is why nothing done outside the will of God is of eternal fruition; the more reason it pays to live by the will of God. “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

When a man does anything for God outside the will of God, he has succeeded in working for Heaven as a stranger; it is not on his record in Heaven. But when the man comes back to God genuinely, that is when Heaven starts counting on his behalf. Amazing but true! This is why God would tell some people who have built ministry for years, telling them that He (God) has no hand in what they are doing. God will tell them to go and start something else and begin to have treasures stored in Heaven. Many will disobey and reach the gate of Heaven to find out there were no rewards for what they did.

It is good to believe and become saved; it is most important to preserve your salvation by living in obedience. God does not seek partial obedience because it is the same as disobedience. Christianity is a call to absolute and consistent obedience. It starts at the gate of Salvation – where a man first believes and becomes Born Again. Then the man is placed on the narrow way leading to Heaven. And the way to remain on the narrow way is absolute surrender to the will of God in daily choices and daily living.

Believing in God signals you have begun the journey to Heaven; obedience to God ensures that you finish the journey in Heaven. Some people had no serious issue with believing and accepting Christ, but they have serious issues arising with obeying Christ’s standard of what to wear, how not to dress, where not to visit, what not to do, what not to watch, etc.

Disobedience is one single and very potent weapon the devil uses to fight the   eternity of a believer. The devil lies to people that once they are saved, they are forever saved, so it does not matter how they talk, dress, or live. So, many people are being taught (erroneously) that once your name enters the Book of Life, no devil or sin can remove it because according to these false teachers you can continue to sin knowing well that the righteousness of God covers you. This is heresy!

It is possible to have once been saved, but to become a ONCE UPON A TIME Christian when your eternity in Heaven is compromised and marred by immorality, lukewarmness and other sins.

Where you started from is (important but) not as important as where you will end. Thank God you became Born Again many years ago and your name entered the Book of Life. But dear friend, the biggest question confronting anyone of us on this journey is not when we got Born Again, but “IS YOUR NAME STILL IN THE BOOK OF LIFE” or it used to be there ONCE UPON A TIME?

What has happened to those fervency and passion for God and the things of God which you had years back? When you were on campus, when you were a fellowship leader or an church executive….what has happened to the Godly discipline and holiness you lived and preached with so much convictions?

Has your testimony in Heaven become ONCE UPON A TIME??? It is time to return and seek God in true revival and holiness. Heaven is real, so is Hell.

“I want to live eternal life, God save my soul…I want to life eternal life, Lord save my soul…”

Dr. Bukola Williams

TreasuredHouse Int’l. Ministries, THIM

(For spiritual help and counselling, you can write via e-mail: drwilliams4j@yahoo.com, or contact via phone: +234 803 574 4063)