 |
| Writing instruments |
Foundations
First
things first …
Do you
know Jesus?
The
foundation of Christianity is God’s love toward us. The entire Bible represents
a moral history of humanity and it portrays the battle that is being waged daily
over the souls of men and women.
God, who
knows the end from the beginning, took on the form of a man, Jesus Christ, to
reconcile us back to the Father.
God did
not wait for us to get good or for us to stop sinning. He decided to intervene
for us from the moment Adam and Eve disobeyed in the Garden of Eden. Their sin
introduced death and destruction into the world. Everything was affected
(damaged).
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we
were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God is holy
and cannot overlook sin. Sin separated us from God. That state of continued
rebellion has put humanity at war with God.
The
effects of sin include spiritual and physical death. Romans 6:23 [b] “For the wages of sin is death.”
Jesus
Christ became a man, lived among us; he was crucified and died on the cross.
For what?
To take on the divine penalty for our sins.
We
ourselves could never be good enough to stand before a holy God. If we could
see the magnitude our sin, the same sin that sent Jesus Christ to the cross, we
would fall on our face with the realization of our helplessness to ever
approach God.
Exodus 33:20 But,” he (God)
said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” Hebrews 12:14 [b] “… without holiness no one will
see the Lord.”
Jesus
Christ began his earthly ministry with a clear call for us to turn away from
sin:
Matthew 4:17: “From
that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
The core
issue was our sin and what to do about it. Repent means to change our mind.
Who among
earthly parents would be willing to turn over their son or daughter to be falsely
accused, tortured, whipped, and crucified, for the very people that committed
this atrocity? I dare say, no one.
However,
God did just that when He sent his son Jesus Christ to take on the sin of the
world and the punishment for that sin. It was not the sin of one person; it was
the Sin of all humanity.
John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal
life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the
world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned,
but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not
believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
The Bible
indicates to us that we cannot earn salvation or obtain it through good works.
Salvation is a gift of God. It also teaches us that there is no other way to be
saved except through faith in the sacrificial death, burial and resurrection of
Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 8-10: “For it is by grace you have been
saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of
God— 9 not by works, so that no one can
boast.”
John 14:6 “Jesus
answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through me.”
Hebrews 3:15 “Today,
if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”
John 11:25-26 [a] “Jesus
said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me,
though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever
liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” (KJV)
If you don’t know how to ask the Lord for his gift
of salvation, here is a simple prayer borrowed from the Missionaries of Prayer.
There is no need to put it off any longer.
Prayer for salvation:
“Lord Jesus, I want to become a follower of
Yours. I come to You acknowledging that I am a sinner. I know that I cannot
make myself acceptable to God through my own efforts. I believe You went
to the cross to be judged in my place. I trust You to save me from the judgment
I deserve. I trust You to give me a new life. I believe that You are the only
one who can give me eternal life and true communion with God. Give me the free
gift of Your Holy Spirit so that I may live a life that honors you. Thank you,
Lord Jesus, for your love. Give me the strength and wisdom I need to learn Your
ways so that I might follow You as my Lord. Guide me to the right church and
surround me with other Christians to help me with this new journey, in Your
Holy Name Jesus Amen.”
Send a message if you prayed this prayer to receive
Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Connect with other believers in your community.
We can help you find a Bible-believing church. If you are in another country, and
if there is not a church near you, you may want to get together with other Christians
who meet in small groups. Stay in fellowship with believers who will pray with
you and encourage you as you grow in the Lord.
God has great plans for you!
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,”
declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.”
Christian Bible online in English, Spanish and other languages, and in different versions Christian Bible
No comments:
Post a Comment