Note: those for whom Christ has truly gone to prepare a place to receive into his Father’s house in heaven are by themselves making conscious and dutiful preparation prior to their departure to be with their Lord (for I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith. Philippians 1:23-25), longing, hasting and ready for the moment or the day the trumpet or the voice of the sound of ‘come up hither’ shall call them home.
Their faithfulness in readiness for accountability (for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether. 2 Cor. 5:10) and their assurance of a well done, good and faithful servant is the cause of their earnest desire for a better country, that is, an heavenly (nevertheless, we according to his promise look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness. 2 Pet. 3:12-14), having set the goal to prioritize the will and pleasure of God in every spiritual, outward or physical engagements or duty, consciously following the rules in the scriptures in order to receive the over-comer’s reception and reward (and if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strives lawfully. 2 Tim 2:5); while they run, not as uncertainty, though fighting, but not as one beating the air, but as of one with self-discipline through the power of the spirit of God to bring their body under subjection, lest after they have labored and worked for the Lord, they should not be a cast away (1 Cor. 9:25-27), to the end that they may be found of their Lord in peace, without spot, and blameless. 2 Pet. 3:14.
And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him (Gen. 5:24): for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. Heb.11:6. What is your present testimony from God’s spirit that your present spiritual walk and lifestyle is pleasing and worthy of acceptation? Let us do evil, that good may come, whose damnation is sure! Rom. 3:8.
Except your conscience is sealed with an hot iron to appease and justify your corruptible lifestyles and ways, though you are born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible seed of God’s word, that you cannot live in holiness and be freed from sin because everybody is sinning (for our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. 2 Cor. 2:12), to you hope to reap incorruption though you are presently sowing to the flesh, is this not self deception? Are you not mocking God? Weigh your life and ways on the scale and balance of the word, then you can know the worth and value of your relationship with God – good, bad, low, high, presently acceptable or not. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.  Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 1 John 3:20-21.
The book of Hebrews chapter 11 verses 6 reveals how Enoch walked readily and acceptably until God took him away to heaven. God was pleased with Enoch walk while he was present in the body – yet alive, so impressed and determined to make him a good example of rapturable living saints (at that time two men will be working in a field: one will be taken away, the other will be left behind – we shall not all die, but we shall be changed. Mt. 24:40. 1 Cor. 15:51) at the time of Christ second coming.
Enoch served and walked diligently (characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic) to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Heb. 12:28. We are saved by hope – in hope of eternal life (Titus 1:2), now a hope that can be observed is not really hope, for who hopes for what can be seen? But if we hope for what we do not yet observe, we eagerly wait for it with patience (Rom. 8:24-25) as we (a) carefully and obediently frame our life and walk in accordance to the scriptures for our good to be accepted now, and for the good and salvation of the people around us. 1 Tim.4:16: (b) to continue increasingly in the works and will of God because none of your labor, productivity and fruitfulness is not in vain in your patient waiting (for the earth which drinks in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and brings forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receives blessing from God. But that which bears thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: that ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Heb 6:7-12) for the reward of inheritance: to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life: but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; but glory, honor, and peace, to every man that works good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: for there is no respect of persons with God. Rom. 7-11.
We should not introduce, practice, tolerate or accept what is not permitted in the bible in our lives or in the church for whatever reason: this type of spiritual lifestyle will make us inacceptable and disapproved before God, now and throughout all eternity. Such behavior is judged and condemned as contempt disregard for the word of God: to add or to remove from the word of God for our suitability, or to appease Satan, self or man to displease God is evil. This is the reason Adam’s sojourn in the Garden was terminated abruptly and his presence was no longer needed in Eden, being expelled out of it.
The misdirected motive to false and vain pursuit of many believers in the kingdom is (a) as the result of their self -willed spirit to diminish from, or altogether divert from the clearly given divine purpose and goal like King Saul did in the matter of the Amalekites; his works were disapproved, and his person and kingship was rejected: (b) the ignorance misconception of divine goal and purpose to the eternal truth that God has created all things for his pleasure: that our works, walk and life with every other conversation should be to fulfill the will of God (even as the Son of man has shown us that he came down from heaven, not to do own will, but the will of him who sent him into the world, doing everything that pleases him. John 8:29), even as the scriptures enjoins us to wisely and cautiously pray and to inquire to understand what the will of God is (Eph. 5:17), and by so doing, our works and ways shall be accepted and rewarded.
Is it not written that whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s (Rom. 14:8): if this statement is true, why should we seek our ways against the ways of God, or seek to walk in the imaginations of our own heart instead of bringing every thought in us into captivity to the obedience of Christ? Only by doing this shall our ways, life, works and person be accepted, approved and honored by God, both now and in eternity. God will honor those who truly honor him with their lives, and he will despise those who lightly esteemed him in their ways, life and work. 1 Sam. 2: 30. The scriptures cannot be broken – if our desire, pursuit and goal is whether we live or die, we seek to be accepted of him, we must therefore esteem all his precepts concerning all things to be right; to hate and ignore every falsehood of lifestyles and behaviors of modernization contrary the eternal- immutable word of God – no man that is enlisted as a soldier entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.. Psalms 119:128. 2 Tim. 2:4.
When he shall see the travail of his soul he shall be satisfied! Isaiah 53:11. Luke 22:44. You, as Christ purchased possession (Eph. 1:14), is your present walk, life and ways satisfying and in approval to the Lord? Should Christ soul, having labored on earth to learn obedience by the things which he suffered to pay the price of your redemption to save you (Heb. 5:8), not weeping in secret for your insensitivity to the call to labor in obedience to work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12) against the hardening of your heart through the deceitfulness (Heb. 3:13) of sin? You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. Heb.12.4.
Labor to enter in through the straight gate: for narrow is the way, and straight is the gate which enters heaven, only few people has found it: but the wide road and broad way believers, because they are not treading (thus says the Lord to this people: thus they have loved to wander; they have not restrained their feet. Therefore the Lord does not accept them; he will remember their iniquity now, and punish their sins. Jeremiah 14:10) the right and approved road to heaven, therefore is their ways, life and walk is presently condemned as they awaits the greatest disappointment of their life from the Christ they continually crucifying the second time (for many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. Phil. 3:18-19), who will disown them as workers of iniquity, though they have wrought with him – cast out demons, eaten and drunken in his presence, and Christ has once taught in their streets. Luke. 13:24-28.
Is your present conversation admissible for heaven, an acceptable behavior as becomes a saint, so that, whether you live or die, you are accepted of him? Note: it is now or never to make things right with God. Christ knows his sheep, and his sheep knows him: they know their works – how far or from where they have fallen, even as Christ knows and shows them their works, either for encouragement, rebuke or for correction: to declare their works and righteousness, if it is profitable for them now in view for heaven as they are walking towards that which is set before them – eternity. Isaiah 57:12. Job 36:5-12.
The lips of the wise know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaks forwardness. Prov. 10:32. Are you laboring in the word and on yourself through prayer and self-control to possess the tongue of the learned (the Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakes me morning by morning, he wakes mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. Isaiah 50:4-5) so that the present word of your mouth should be acceptable (Psalms 19:14) before him, lest you should stand to be judged and condemned in the near future before God for the present idle and evil words (Mt.12:36), coarse joking and the jestings which are not convenient coming out from your lips, upon which the wrath of God is coming upon children of disobedience? Eph. 5:1-7.
First, you sufficiency is of God which tries your heart: you are answerable to him alone, and not man, though meekness is required on your part to answer the curious questioners of your hope, love and fear in submission and determination to please God in all things. 1 Pet. 3:15.
Do you speak truthfully (Master, we know that thou says and teaches rightly, neither accepts the person of any, but teaches the way of God truly. Luke 20:21)) and do justly without regard to persons or with partiality or undue bias, especially on account of friendship, power, and wealth? Do you have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ without respect of persons? James 2:1.  Have you been deceived by any vain thought that God will accept your work and person now and in eternity if you secretly or openly accept person? But he will surely reprove you if you do secretly accept person (Job 13:8): let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man. For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my maker would soon take me away. Job 32:21-22. Note: those who seek to please men, to make false impression of other people, seek their approval rating from men while their approval rating with God shall stand as zero, for if anyone seeks to please men, they are not worthy to be called, neither servants or children of God. Gal. 1:10.
We are commanded to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing (Col. 1:10): to make your calling and election sure in the kingdom (2 Pet. 1:10), but if you are not laboring, striving and pressing hard to walk worthy through the narrow way without conformity to the world’s mentality, customs, practices and lifestyle; to present your body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service (Rom. 12:1-2), what is your ground work of faithfulness for a reasonable expectation to be counted worthy of the kingdom of heaven? Those that shall miss or make heaven are either presently disapproved (Rev. 3:2) or approved by him (Rev 2:10) as the latter are confidently presently rejoicing in their works (Gal. 6:4) as the result of their present approval from God (wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Acts 20:26-27): though, they continue to labor to enter into God’s final eternal rest, yet, they are confidence and joyful for the present revelation of what the eyes have not seen, or heard by the ears of men, nor perceived by the heart of any, of the things which God has prepared for them that love him! But they have seen and known them, even before they get to heaven (knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me. 2 Pet.1 14) from the revelation of the indwelling Spirit of God: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God know no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 1 Cor. 2: 9-12.
This is the comfort of the faithful brethren (1 Pet. 5:12) from the Comforter sent by Christ to  encourage and uplift their spirits, strengthening them with might in the inner man for the continuation of their present works, life and ways in serving the faithful God, by whom they are called into the fellowship of his Son, who will also confirm them to the end as the true epistle of his Son, read and known by all men (2 Cor.3:2-3), that they be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 1:8-9.
One of the spirits of the last day is boasting (men in the church shall be boasters and boastful), which shows itself up in different ways of self -praise, self-glorification, self-esteem or self-important, self-justification, self-assurance etc: it is pride, damnable spiritual defilement. It will surely disqualify anyone from the prospect of any reward, approval or admission to heaven. The cause of the condemnation and expulsion of Satan from God’s abode should not be found in any of those who shall be admissible to heaven. The strength, wisdom and the glory of the spiritual man is found in his quietness and in all lowliness of mind: never to blow his own trumpet while he let others to do it for God’s glory (let another man praise thee, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips. Prov. 27:2), for he seeks not his own glory, otherwise, he’s taking the glory due unto God by his brag, but his right hand must not know what his left hand is doing (Mt. 6:1-4): this is the only way a believer’s works, ways and life is presently accepted and approved with God for a sure reward against the time to come.
Hidden envy and strife in the heart to compete against others will disqualify anyone before God as the works of the flesh: (b) it is a spiritual pollution which render whatever good work or service we seems to do or render to others for the Lord’s sake as unclean (c) it also make us obnoxious (nasty, unpleasant, distasteful and disagreeable) before him. Let us not murmur for whatever reason, as some of them also murmured, and they were destroyed by the destroyer (1 Cor. 10:10), but to do all things without murmurings and disputing: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Philippians 2:14-15.
It is evidenced that if we are led by Spirit of God (Rom 8:14), we won’t murmur or dispute against anyone, nor compete to seek men’s accolade, than to seek to please God in our works, ways, and life: to seek for his unique glory and praises. Good works and other ministry in the kingdom are not approved or worthy of any reward before God if they are not scripturally done (everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.1 Cor. 9:25), therefore, nothing should be done for vainglory, but for God’s unique praises in the singleness of our heart.
The motive and endgame of whatsoever we do should be for God’s praises and glory, not man (and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. Col. 3:23-24), while his commendation and approval of our works, ways and life should be our primary focus of engagement, conduct and service to others (for not he that commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends. 2 Cor. 10:18): hence, the Lord instructs us that after the completion of our daily works, lest any should fall into the condemnation of Satan (but which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shall eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. Luke 17:7-10), lest the battle axe should boast greater power than the man who uses it, the saw greater than the man who saws it, we should not take any credit for God’s doings through us. Isaiah10:15.
The attendance to duty only when being watched brought about the curse and condemnation of Christ against the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites (Mt.23:5) deception by eye service to portray themselves before others, contrary to what they are in the sight of God. Those who will not be happy or content to continue doing the right thing until they receive men’s praise; or those who are seeking for the praise and approval of others before they can render any service in the church or outside of it have disqualified themselves for any reward whatsoever before God. Of what good or profit should it be for anyone to be praised and adored by men, but he afterward rejected and condemned by the Creator? And he said unto them, you are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knows your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. Luke 16:15.
As a believer, your pursuit, goal and sole interest in the world is to speak (for our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: but as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which tries our hearts. 1 Thess. 2:3-4) and live as to be accepted before God now and throughout all eternity (you are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you that believe. 1 Thess. 2:10), by ignoring what the men of the world are thinking, saying or not agreed to, not having any idea or hope of false expectation of acceptance from the world, (they are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God: he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us. Hereby we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. 1 John 4:5-6) because you are not of the world, neither should you seek to please them with any of those precious and sacred things pertaining to God – Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. Mt. 7:6.