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Lesson 26 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course 3

Is Heaven the Reward of the Saved?

LESSON 26 URAL to resent and resist authority over one. A
child tends to resist the authority of his parents.
You were born into a world which has We grow up with a natural attitude of hostility
developed a certain type of civilization. The toward any authority, all the way up to
instant you were born you knew NOTHING! But YEHOVAH GOD.
your eyes opened, you looked about, and Human nature wants to BE good. It just
knowledge of what you saw began registering in doesn’t want to DO good because GOOD is the
your memory -- began putting knowledge into WAY of YEHOVAH God’s invisible, inexo-
your mind. Your ears heard sounds, and thus rable, spiritual LAW. That LAW is, simply,
additional knowledge entered through the sense LOVE. It is love toward YEHOVAH God in the
of hearing. Very elementary at first, but form of trusting and willing OBEDIENCE to
gradually, each bit of new knowledge, entering YEHOVAH’s every command and direction,
your mind through your sense of taste, smell, knowing it is for our highest good. It is love
feel, sight and hearing, was ADDED to what had toward YEHOVAH God in the form of being
previously been stored there. GOD-centered -- having the mind CON-
Gradually you came to know, and take TINUALLY (consciously or sub- consciously)
up with, the customs, ways, generally accepted in contact with YEHOVAH, RELYING on
ideas and beliefs of this world. You accepted YEHOVAH, seeking guidance from YEHO-
them, took them for granted without question. VAH, worshipful in the sense of gratitude,
Some of them were good -- but many of obedience, faith in complete trust. It is love
them were BAD. But you took them for granted toward fellow MAN -- in the sense of outgoing
without realizing they were bad. concern, EQUAL TO love and concern for self.
You were born with a NATURE. We call Now NO MAN exercises THAT KIND
it human nature. Few people realize what it is. of love NATURALLY. YOU simply were not
Human nature has a spiritual side, and a physical born with that kind of love.
side. On its spiritual side, it is pure VANITY. You DON’T HAVE IT!
Vanity loves and tends to exalt the SELF. It is That is, not unless you have received it
SELF-centered. It is selfish and greedy. It is this from YEHOVAH God through His GIFT of His
way NATURALLY. On its physical side, there holy spirit.
are the five senses, and the PULL of these senses THAT LOVE travels a certain road. It is
to want to be satisfied. Exercise of these senses the road that leads to peace, to happiness, to
can produce sensations of pleasure. Some of confident assurance, security, well-being,
these sensual pleasures are healthy, uplifting and ENJOYMENT without kickbacks, prosperity --
GOOD. But many are injurious, harmful and every good thing the heart desires.
BAD. Yet the bad ones cry out for gratification Everyone wants that RESULT.
as much -- probably far more than the good. That is to say, everyone wants to BE
Thus human nature exerts an automatic, good.
impulsive PULL toward selfishness, greed, But no one, it seems, NATURALLY
vanity, jealousy, envy, hatred, and toward the wants to GO that way -- to DO good.
lusts (WRONG desires) of the flesh. That is the WAY of YEHOVAH’s Law.
Human nature makes it come NAT-

Is Heaven the Reward of the Saved?