After Death, What?

All men (and women) die. We don’t like to think about that, but it is an inevitable reality of living. Every cemetery we pass on the road testifies to this inescapable truth. All men die. Some die young and some die old. Some die expectedly and some die unexpectedly. Some die without notice and some die with great fanfare. But all men die.

But what happens to us after we die? That is the question that must be addressed. Is death the end for us? Does our existence disappear without consciousness? The Scriptures teach us what happens after death, and we would do well to give heed to its testimony.

The Scriptures declare plainly, “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). There are two appointments spoken of in this verse, death and judgment. Both must be kept. Paul admonished the believers in Rome “So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12).

This world was created by an all powerful God for his purpose and his glory. That creation and purpose includes each one of us. The Psalmist wrote “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). We should not be surprised that we must give an account to our Creator. Tragically, many, if not most men will come to that day of judgment having never acknowledged their Creator nor his benefits. That will be devastating!

Speaking of that day of judgment, Christ gives us a glimpse of what that will be like for those who do not know him as Savior. “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works…And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-12, 15).

The small and great will stand before God. Presidents, ball players, movie stars, doctors, teachers, moms, dads, sons and daughters will stand before God. The good (as we view them) and the wicked will all stand before God and be judged by their own works according to the standards of God’s absolute holiness. Keep in mind that the Scriptures teach us that “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). That being true, we must ask ourselves with the author of Hebrews, “how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him” (Hebrews 2:3). To neglect is to suffer eternal damnation.

Jesus Christ bore the wrath of God on the cross for our sins. Those that put their faith in him “hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but [are] passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). Their names are written in the Lamb’s book of life!

He Is Coming Again

The Scriptures record for us that Jesus was born of a virgin; that he lived a sinless life; that he suffered a cruel death on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins; that he was buried and rose again the third day. These truths concerning our Lord Jesus are incontestable.

Concerning his resurrection, the Apostle Paul writes “that he [Jesus] rose again the third day according to the scriptures: and that he was seen of Cephas [Peter], then of the twelve [his disciples]: after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me [Paul] also” (I Corinthians 15:5-8). Luke adds that “he [Jesus] showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them [his disciples] forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:2-3).

At his last gathering with the disciples, he told them “ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses…unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received them out of their sight” (Acts 1:8-9).

Where is Jesus now? The writer of Hebrews tells us that “this man [Jesus], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God: from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool” (Hebrews 13:12-13). Peter explains further that he “is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him” (I Peter 3:22).

Jesus is in heaven right now, but he is coming back! He promised this even before his crucifixion. In an effort to find fault with him, the high priest asked Jesus “Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:61-62). John repeated the promise in the final book of our Scriptures: “Behold, he [Jesus] cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him” (Revelation 1:7).

Friend, Jesus is coming again to earth, not as a babe in a manger, but this time as King of kings and Lord of lords. Peter noted that “there shall come in the last days scoffers…saying, where is the promise of his coming…But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:3-4, 8-9).

Believer, “be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh…behold, the judge standeth before the door” (James 5:9). When he comes, he shall make all things right. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:21).

Are All Mankind Sinners?

Are all mankind sinners? John tells us in his epistle “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (I John 3:4). The law spoken of here is God’s law. We have come to know this law as the ten commandments. Thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt not covet; thou shalt not bear false witness (lie); honor thy father and thy mother. These commandments govern our relationship to other men and women. The other four deal with our relationship to God, but these listed are sufficient to answer our question.

Jesus taught how these commandments were intended to be applied to our lives. He explained that these sins were not just the overt acts, but included the very thoughts we entertained in our hearts. For example, on adultery he said “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28).

Paul reminded the believers in Rome that “the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12). He could say that because the law reflects the holy character of God. After all, it is his law, and sin, or the transgression of the law, is necessarily a violation of his holy character even though committed against another man or woman.

Therein lies the rub. Face it, we tend to compare our sins to others whose list of  sins is, perhaps, longer, and more frowned upon in society than our own list. How foolish is that! That is like one corpse in a cemetery boasting that it is not as dead as another corpse because it has not decomposed as much. When it comes to counting sins, we must see ourselves before a holy God. David, even after he committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband to cover his sin, understood that the perspective that mattered most was God’s. He was forced to acknowledge “against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight” (Psalm 51:4).

Returning to our question, are all mankind sinners, the inescapable answer is absolutely. Man is bent toward sin from the moment he is born. The Psalmist notes “the wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies” (Psalm 58:3). We know this is true. Whoever had to teach a child to lie?

Men sin and left to themselves will sin more. God provided government to aid in restraining evil. “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil… But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he [the ruler] beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil” (Romans 13:3-4). Imagine a society without law enforcement officers – ugh!

The best news against this backdrop is Paul’s testimony to Timothy. “This is a faithful saying…that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (I Timothy1:15). Praise God!

Will God Judge

The Psalmist asks a penetrating question. “Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? He hath said in his heart, thou wilt not require it” (Psalm 10:13). In modern day vernacular, the sinner does not fear the judgment of God. He believes that God will not judge. So he or she readily dismisses the warnings from God’s word and his messengers as irrelevant. In short, such warnings are despised and held with contempt.

What a tragic misconception about God and his attitude toward sin. The sinner foolishly thinks that because God has not judged, he will not judge. Man willingly fails to understand the implications of God’s sovereignty. His sovereignty over all things means that he can wait to judge until doing so fits the context of his eternal plan. While his holy character demands that every sin must be addressed, the Lord is not constrained to act immediately against the unrepentant sinner to vindicate his holiness. His omniscience prevents any sin falling “through the crack” and left unaddressed. Furthermore, his righteous character coupled with infinite wisdom assures judgment that is both righteous and commensurate. The bottom line is God can wait to judge because of who he is. But, make no mistake, he will judge. Denying that he will do so is tragic because it leads to certain destruction.

It is God’s great patience with the sinner that is vastly misunderstood. The Scriptures teach “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared” (Psalm 130:3). God knows the sinner’s sins, all of them, but he waits. He waits for the sinner to repent, to come to him, to seek forgiveness. The love of God restrains his just wrath because he  “is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

God demonstrated his response to sin and love for the sinner when Jesus bore our sins on the cross of Calvary. There God poured out his wrath against sin for all mankind. It is there “God commandeth his love for us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God’s just and holy wrath was satisfied by our Savior’s sacrifice for us. And all who trust in him “have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14). But we must trust in him. Christ alone is the safe harbor in the sea of God’s wrath upon sin.

So for now God waits. But there will be a time when waiting ends and judgment comes. God in his sovereignty “hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness” (Acts 17:31). “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged…every man according to his works. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15).

Why do you wait? “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).

To Love Christ is to Love His Church

When Jesus was taken captive by the officers of the Jews, he was brought to the palace of the high priest. The Scriptures record that Peter followed Jesus and was let into the palace by “her that kept the door” at the request of John “who was known unto the high priest” (John 18:15-16). It was in that setting that Peter denied knowing Christ on three separate occasions (Matthew 26:69-75).

Fast forward to the Sea of Galilee after the Lord was resurrected from the dead. Peter and other of the disciples are fishing offshore. Jesus appears on the shore and miraculously makes a futile night fishing profitable with a huge catch of fish. At this point they make their way to join him on shore where they dine with him.

After the meal Jesus ministers to Peter’s failure at the high priest’s palace. He asks Peter three times “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?” (John 21:17). Each time Peter responds to Jesus, “Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee” (John 21:16). It is through this exchange that our Lord tenderly restores Peter to a place of service.

It is interesting to note here that love for Christ manifests itself in love for his children. On each occasion after Peter’s response, Jesus instructed Peter “feed my sheep” (John 21:16). In essence, the Lord said, “Peter, if you love me, love those that belong to me, too”. This admonition extends to all those who have been born again. John stated in his epistle “everyone that loveth him that begat [Jesus] loveth him also that is begotten of him” (I John 5:1).

The Scriptures know nothing of loving Christ apart from loving those in his body, the church. It is a family kind of love that God gives to his children, and it testifies to our new life in Christ. “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren” (I John 3:14).

What does it mean to love the brethren? God has placed each of his children “in the body, as it has pleased him” (I Corinthians 12:18). Furthermore, he has gifted each one of his children with a specific ability to minister to his or her fellow believers in the body. “But the manifestation of the Spirit [spiritual gift] is given to every man to profit withal” (I Corinthians 12:7). Not only has God gifted his children, but he has the expectation that each believer will use his gift. “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (I Peter 4:10).

Loving the brethren means we seek and pray for the welfare of those in the family of God with a governing focus of promoting Christlikeness in each to the glory of God. Yet a love for others must first necessarily overcome our own self-interest. Paul challenged the Philippian believers accordingly. “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Philippians 2:4).  Only then are we able to “serve one another in love” (Galatians 5:13).

How about you? Are you in the family of God? “But as many as received him [Jesus], to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born…of God” (John 1:12-13). Fellow believer, how are you demonstrating love to your brothers and sisters in Christ?

We Lead by Serving

What comes to your mind when you think about the role, responsibility, and exercise of leadership? How we answer that question reveals much about the state of our society. A well-functioning, multi-faceted society requires a variety of leadership roles carrying out their responsibilities in an effective manner. On one hand, leaders by definition operate  with a degree of autonomy. On the other hand, the effectiveness of their leadership is leveraged by a proper sense of inter-dependence with other societal leadership roles. But there is one quality that is the earmark of all effective leadership and that is a servant’s mindset. However counter-intuitive that may sound to us, it is nonetheless the chief characteristic set forth by the Lord Jesus Christ to his disciples. It is key to leadership.

Our Lord took time to teach this valuable lesson to his disciples following the Passover meal. He arose from supper and “laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded” (John 13:4-5). His action created no small stir among his disciples. After all, Jesus was their Messiah and Lord, the very Son of God. “So after he had washed their feet…and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:12-15).

The key to understanding our Lord’s actions is found in his love for his disciples. Immediately prior to washing the disciples’ feet, the Scripture records “when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end” (John 13:1; emphasis added). His example declares and teaches that love flows from authority.

Love then is a superintending and selfless care for those under authority. This mindset, consequently, must be the prevailing and governing mindset of all who exercise authority by virtue of their leadership roles. Another way of expressing this truth is that a leader’s thinking must be governed by the benefit accrued to those under their leadership. Leaders do what is best for those whom they lead. In this sense, leaders serve those under their leadership.

At one time during Jesus’ earthly ministry, James and John requested of him that they might sit on his right hand and on his left hand in his kingdom. Christ pointed out that they had mischaracterized the purpose of leadership, which is not found in position, but in service. He both admonished and challenged them (James and John, as well as all the disciples) saying  “whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:44-45). Love truly does flow from authority.

How about your view of leadership? Do you consider yourself a leader? Do you have in mind the best interest of those under your leadership as you lead?

Whom Say Ye That I Am?

The gospel writer, Luke, records the Lord’s challenge to his disciples about his identity. “And it came to pass, as he [Jesus] was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, whom say the people that I am?” (Luke 9:18). It was a fair question. He had come testifying that he was the Son of God, performing the miracles that was prophesied of his being and purpose. Even so, the answers of the people missed the mark. “They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again” (Luke 9:19).

It is evident from the passage that Jesus was not moved by what the people thought, but that he desired this initial inquiry to lead to exploring what his disciples thought. “He said unto them, but whom say ye that I am?” (Luke 9:20). They had been living in close proximity to the Lord for quite some time now, both observing his miracles and listening to his teaching. It was imperative that his disciples were convinced of his claims as to who he was before they could embrace his purpose for coming. Peter speaking with great boldness and confidence, perhaps for all of the disciples, “answered and said, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

The Scriptures declare “From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day” (Matthew 16:21). This was not what his disciples were expecting.

The title “Christ” is the Greek form of the Hebrew word “Messiah.” The Messiah was God’s anointed One, the promised deliverer of God’s earthly people, the Jews. In Jesus’ day the Jews expected the Messiah to deliver his people from Roman rule and establish his kingdom on earth. But before Jesus could take his place as the King of Israel, he must first suffer death on the cross. “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

The disciples recoiled at the Lord’s declaration of his death. In fact, Peter rebuked the Lord, saying, “be it far from thee, Lord: this [his death] shall not be unto thee” (Matthew 1622). But our Lord answered Peter forcefully ascribing his resistance to God’s will to Satan himself. “Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men” (Matthew 16:23).

Our Savior clearly understood God’s plan and purpose in redeeming the souls of men and followed it faithfully. The claims of Christ stand today as plain as they did 2,000 years ago. He is the Messiah, the King of Israel and the Lamb of God, the Savior of men. He is coming back soon to establish his throne. The question that Jesus asked his disciples remains valid. What think ye? Whom say ye that I am?

What Manner of Man Is This!

The gospels record for us the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. These events are intended to give us pause to reflect. Take, for instance, an event related in the gospel of Luke that testifies to the Lord’s power over the deep. Luke records “he [Jesus] went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, let us go over unto the other side of the lake [Galilee]” (Luke 8:22). The Scriptures go on to say, “as they sailed, he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy” (Luke 8:23).

Two points merit consideration. First, the men on this boat were fishermen. This was not their first storm, and they certainly were not inexperienced in dealing with such circumstances. Second, the disciples were in the very will of God, for Jesus himself had instructed them to get in the boat and cross the lake. The arrival of the storm did not take Christ by surprise. Consequently, there was a purpose in his instruction to the disciples to launch forth.

The storm was intensely powerful because these fishermen, though experienced, were genuinely afraid for their very lives. Luke tells us “they [the disciples] came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish” (Luke 8:24). It is worth noting that they came to him and sought his intervention. They believed that he both cared and that he could do something to secure their safety. Souls in danger have sought the Lord to deliver them countless times through the centuries believing the very same things.

In a simple statement of fact, the gospel writer records “Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was calm” (Luke 8:24). Instant peace and tranquility! The One who led them to launch into the deep delivered them from an almost certain watery grave with the word of his mouth. Is it any wonder that all they could say was “What manner of man is this! For he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him” (Luke 8:25).

It is certain that nature’s elements knew the voice of their Creator. John records for us that “All things were made by him [Jesus]; and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3). To still the wind and to quiet the waves was nothing for the One who brought them into existence by his very word. This is only one display of his divine power recorded for us in the Scriptures. The Scriptures also teach us that when the disciples reached the other side of the lake, they encountered a man possessed by demons who was forced to make his abode in the tombs. Christ set the man free from his captors and these demons, now residing in a heard of swine, were swallowed up by the same deep that just moments before had sought to swallow the disciples’ boat.

There are many records of Jesus’ miraculous works in the gospels. John informs us “these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31). If we take a moment to reflect upon his works, we must come to the same conclusion as his disciples. What manner of man is this! Friend, this is the Christ, the Son of God!

Restoring God’s Image

Is morality dead? The short answer is no, morality is not dead. We know that to be true because mankind was created in the moral likeness of God. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:26-27). Man’s likeness to God invariably includes a moral likeness because God himself is a moral being. The Scriptures teach us that the Lord is holy and righteous in all his ways, words of moral character. “The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works” (Psalm 145:17).

God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden with instructions to cultivate it and care for it. Everything was at their disposal for food with one exception, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The LORD “commanded man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17).

The rest is history. Adam did that which God had told him not to do and sin entered the world. “Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). Death now reigns because every man and woman born into this world is a sinner. Every cemetery that dots the landscape of our countryside is testimony to the universal presence of sin and death.

Sin did not eradicate that image of God in man, but it did mar it greatly. In short, man’s moral compass is broken. Morality then is not dead, but merely tragically disfigured by sin’s destructive influence and the blindness of our hearts. Jeremiah, the prophet, reminds us “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Men, apart from the mercy and truth of God, wander in darkness inviting the judgment of God. “Professing themselves to be wise, they become fools” (Romans 1:22).

We are a people that, as Isaiah puts it, “call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20). But, take heart! God is in the business of restoring his image through the reconciling work of Jesus Christ. The Scriptures declare that “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them…for he hath made him [Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:19, 21).

Christ bore our sins on his cross suffering the wrath of God that was due unto us “for the soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4). His blood paid the ransom for our souls. Those who put their faith in Jesus enjoy the forgiveness of sins and are declared righteous with the very righteousness of Christ. We stand reconciled to God by him. And it is through this reconciliation that the process of restoring that moral image of God begins.

A Few Thoughts on Prayer

The Bible records many things about prayer. That should not be surprising. The Bible is God’s word and prayer is the means of communicating with God. Consequently, examples and instructions pertaining to prayer are commonly seen throughout the Scriptures. It takes a careful collective examination of these references to prayer to craft a credible understanding of this multi-faceted topic.

Perhaps, it is good to begin with John’s record of Jesus dealing with the Samaritan woman. Christ tells her, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). From this we understand that prayer is of necessity a spiritual enterprise. In order to pray to God, one must first have spiritual life. As Paul reminded the Ephesian believers, every man and woman who enters this world is born spiritually “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). As anyone who has ever stood in a cemetery understands, the dead cannot speak.

One must be born again, regenerated by the Spirit of God, to have spiritual life. As Jesus told Nicodemus, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again” (John 3:6-7). The Apostle Paul emphasized to Titus that the new birth does not occur by our own works, but by the work of the Spirit of God. Paul explains that this new birth is “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his [God’s] mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5).

The Spirit of God uses his word to impress the claims of Christ and his gospel upon our spiritually dead souls to create new life in us. Peter teaches this truth in his first epistle. “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit…being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever” (I Peter 1:22-23). As we then exercise faith in Christ, we are born again. “But as many as received him [Jesus], to them gave he power [authority] to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).

The New Testament goes to great lengths to present the foundation of a life of communion with God. It begins with repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to receive spiritual life, eternal life. This is prayer’s source. There is no communion with God that does not begin with new life.

But new life alone does not guarantee answers to prayer. New life gives an audience with God, but it is loving obedience that gives confidence that our prayers are heard and answered. “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him [God], because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight” (I John 3:22). God gives new life to repentant sinners that they might walk with him in obedience and enjoy him forever. Do you have this life? Are you walking in loving obedience?