Latest Devotional - 2026-07-10 -
Good morning, Dear Ones,
The Holy Spirit directs me to continue writing more about heaven. To do that we will again visit the questions posed last week. 1 Why does God leave us with an incomplete picture of heaven? 2 Why does He allow our faith to be tested as it is? 3 Why are some people faithful to Him and some not? 4 Why is having God’s mark of ownership so important? 5 Why does the evil one (Satan) tempt us? 6 What is heaven like? So, this week, I’ll begin with question 4.
Our God has abrogated a small portion of His power to humans so that we could make the decision as to whether we would be obediently faithful to Him or not. The word “abrogate” means to officially cancel a law by an authoritative act in human terms. In the context used here, it means that God gave humans just enough of His mighty power to be able to decide whether to accept the Holy Spirit and become both His servants and His friends [JN 15: 13-15]. This power given to mankind is called free agency. It is helpful to pray using this or a similar prayer when a person chooses to use it righteously:
Dearest Lord, I recognize that I am a sinner but want to place my trust in You. During my physical life on earth, I will be learning Your sacred ways. I can do this by remembering when I am challenged that You are here for me and that You love me. Nothing can break the connection between us, and if I stand firm in my faith in You, I can look forward to eternal life no matter what takes my physical life. My faith will be tested by You, never allowing me to be tested beyond my ability to endure in that faith. I pledge You my love, devotion, loyalty, and promise that I will try to love You, my fellow humans, and the living things You have put on earth. I also promise to care for the environment and the air I breathe. You are to be praised and thanked for all You are and all You do. In Christ’s holy/mighty name I pray.
Amen.
Praying this or a similar prayer with a genuine heart begins a journey that if kept on course will lead to eternal life. The rest of the journey has been discussed in past devotions—exhibiting the gifts of the Holy Spirit [GAL 5: 22-23], for example. Being a faithfully obedient Christian is not easy in today’s world, but it is quite necessary to stand firm in the practice of being Christlike over one’s physical lifetime. Of course, some people will reject this belief system or even God Himself. They will end up in the lake of fire, ceasing to exist and with the memory of them erased [REV 20: 13-15]. That’s the crucial choice God allows people to make between heaven and hell.
When we believe, God seals us with His Spirit, making our salvation secure and our identity as His children permanent. EPH 1: 13-14, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the work of truth, the Gospel of your salvation, in Whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise…He is the Guarantee of our inheritance.” 2 COR 1: 22, “He has put His mark of ownership upon us and given us the Holy Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee of all He has in store for us.” The Spirit is the seal proving we belong to God and guaranteeing our future inheritance. Receiving this seal doesn’t mean we will stop sinning; it means we will stop wanting to sin. The Holy Spirit is always on the job of being our conscience, urging us to know God’s will. The latter is made clear in the Scriptures, in messages He gives us to make rightful choices, in letting us know when we make wrongful choices, in directing us to take righteous actions based on godly decisions, etc. In the final analysis, each person will be judged (after giving account of His life) on what he has done.
This verse speaks of God’s name written on His people, declaring eternal ownership. REV 22: 4, “He who is faithful to the words of the prophecy will be given the crown of life, and I will be their God, and they will be My children.” This message is repeated many times in the Bible, indicating how important it is to our loving God. Even though our faith will be tested, our God has given us the ability to pass that test. We must stand firm and have the courage to live according to our faith. The eternal security that God gives us is worth whatever we must face. He never abandons His children, who trust in His care, resisting false claims, and walking in the Spirit’s guidance [PS 9: 9-10].
PRAYER: O Lord, we pledge to make that crucial choice to open the door marked FAITH, that door to Your Spirit. You keep Your promise of EZK 36: 26-27, “I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees; be careful to keep My laws.” You have our love, loyalty, faithfulness, and eternal thanksgiving, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: The Holy Spirit directs me to write about question 5 above: Why does the evil one, Satan, tempt us? I would be remiss in not citing two more crucial messages God leaves us before leaving today’s topic. “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you…He who eats My bread will live forever” [JN 6: 27]. Christ’s own seal of ownership is the bread of life, showing that those who belong to Him are fed by Him and live by His authority. “The Lord knows who His own are, He will keep them safe from the evil one” [2 TIM 2: 19]. Praise and thanksgiving be to Him!
Grace be with You Always,
Lynn, JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2026. All Rights Reserved.