Something to Think About

Romans 5:17-19  - (...For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

This “one man’s” offense was the act of disobedience displayed in the garden of Eden. True, Eve was the initial perpetrator, but Adam followed her lead for some reason. He knew the rules. He walked with God and had daily communication with Him. God gave Adam the command and Adam passed the information down to Eve. It’s only speculation at this point but perhaps Eve misunderstood. But the fact that Adam didn’t stop her puts him in the position of blame.

So we live in a sin-sick world today because of these actions of disobedience. They chose to disobey, as do many today. Are any of us perfect? No. Even if we have called on the name of the Lord to be saved, we fail daily. We continue in our sins...yet we are also being perfected. That will continue till we die or the Lord returns.

Sin entered the world, and along with it all the illnesses, diseases, anger, hatred, disputes, through one man. Only one Man can change that. It’s why it is important we know this Man, Jesus. It’s why we must call on the name of the Lord to be saved. It’s why He has told us:

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:3,7,16)

Jesus’ free gift of grace is offered to all. It produces righteousness, not deserved by any, but offered. It is a gift! It must be received. It is not just a given that because we call ourselves Christians (because we are not Jewish or Muslim or Buddhist) one is saved. It is not determined by one’s denomination or how long we have attended church. Jesus was not about a denomination. This salvation is for anyone when one confesses that Jesus is Lord. Then comes the act of baptism, to show that one means business!

We’re talking about life here, eternal life in heaven or hell. The soul lives on after death in one place or the other. It will either be glorious or pure agony...eternally. Life does not just end when death comes. The soul lives on. 

We are living in trying times. While the events of today may pass, they may appear again. Many believe, as do I, that we live in the last days. I heard a message (many actually) which stated these days are like birth pains. They start out small and increase in intensity, like when child is born. There are always reprieves. But after a reprieve the next pain becomes more intense. While we might see a reprieve in this Covid19 crisis, more things may occur and intensify. What if...this does happen? We might get upset with government, even see conspiracy theories, but the main thing is to see how this all fits into God's eternal plan and what His Word tells us these days will be like. I'm seeing things I never thought I'd see. I can be anxious for a moment, but ultimately the peace of God comes again and I thank Him that I see what His Word has told us these days would be like. 

This is the time to seek God for His protection. It’s time to be serious about Him. It’s time to understand what His Word says about these days we live in and recognize the prophetic words spoken thousands of years ago of Jesus’ birth, His death, His resurrection, His ability to save spiritual lives, that death is not a thing to fear, unless one is without Christ.

The things of this world truly have no importance: only one thing is important...a life in Christ. Food, alcohol, entertainment, parties, sports or drugs are all distractions to keep us from focusing on God. It’s only a matter of (short) time before Jesus will put an end to all the nonsense. Those whose focus is not on earthly things but have kept their eyes on Him will reap the benefits. Not so much for others. We all have to make the decision or choice for Christ.....

Maybe I seem like a fanatic or am considered to not know anything about anything, but what if I’m right? Why would God have written such an amazing Book? Why has it not been done away with and not been destroyed? Why does God’s Word continue if it is all a lie? His Word, He says, will not return to Him void but will accomplish what He desires and achieve the purpose for which He sent it. That's about truth, sin, salvation...and end of time. Something to think about. 

Ephesians 2:4-5, 8-9  - But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)... For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Positivity!

Hebrews 1:10-12 - ...You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail.

It’s been awhile. I have cut back on news because it is getting harder to watch. Then a friend posted this scripture on Facebook: Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. (Philippians 4:8)  She is wanting to maintain about 30 days of positivity! 

So I am trusting God every day. Trusting Him for what He has planned for this world and for people and myself. It’s all in His hands. His Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)  Within this Word are both promises and admonitions, just like the Lord is both good and just. Opposites. There are always opposites! Fast/slow, up/down, obey/disobey, life/death...good/just.

Believers in Christ Jesus will understand this...while stuff goes on in this world we do not like or cannot understand, we can stand on the promises of God and look to Him for answers, which are all spelled out in His Word. Praise God for that!

Our God, our Lord and Savior, has always been, is today and will always be. As the verse above states, He laid the foundation of the earth. He created each of us. His creation has always been for His glory and for us to see and worship Him, not that we worship the creation but He who created. And...He will return someday to bring judgment upon this earth. This is shown to us in His Book. He shows us what the state of the world will be like...and it seems to be getting closer to what has been described. (Matthew 24) (2Timothy 3)

As is also stated (because of the sinfulness of man), this world will perish. In His perfect timing He will return for the final judgment upon all of us. For those who have put their trust in Jesus, judgment will determine our eternal rewards based on our works. For those who have not trusted in Jesus, who have rejected His free gift of salvation, they will be judged on works also; however, as Galatians 2:16 explains, man is not justified by their works, but by faith in Jesus Christ; by works no person will be justified. It is all based first on having faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible also tells us that not one of us on our own is good. Our good works and goodness as seen by God are based on our receiving Him first; they will not cause us to be saved.

So some day the world will end and although we’ve heard this for thousands of years, and sadly some wrongfully predicted His return, the days we are living in are very well described in the New Testament. Many believe it’s closer than we realize. The way the world is headed, I’m ready.

While this all sounds gloomy, it doesn’t have to be. These are exciting times. To see the prophecies in the Bible being played out is amazing, even if I don’t fully understand every detail. It’s exciting if one’s faith and trust is in Jesus Christ. 

We should not put off till tomorrow what we can do today...we are not promised tomorrow. He’s been suggesting to us for thousands of years: Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. (Isaiah 55:6) His heart has never changed toward us. He doesn’t want our works, He wants our hearts.

Despite the hard words of God there is a wonderful promise. If we want that promise to be ours, we have our stuff and our life to relinquish. In our hearts and minds, He must be prominent. God gave His own Son for us. For a period of time that had to be a very hard decision for His Father. And Jesus had the decision to obey His Father and relinquish His life and suffer the worst pain and humiliation so that some (those who choose Christ) would receive the life He offers. Decisions, decisions. We each have this decision to make.  I have. It’s a decision you have to make too.

We don’t know what tomorrow holds. We don’t know when Christ will return. I’m ready. I’m looking forward to His return and the return to a perfect future, one without sorrow or pain, and a new heaven and new earth. Jesus is the good news. He brings the good news of eternal life. It's all about Him, not us. In this world we will go through difficult times, but when we know that no matter what we go through we can be assured that Jesus is by our side and that the final outcome is eternal life. I would say that's positive news.

2Peter 3:10 - But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

I Am Rich

Revelation 3:17-19 - Because you say, "I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing"—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.

This is a very hard word from Jesus. From Jesus! If we claim to know Him, love Him, obey Him, but believe what He first says above, we are not of God. 

When the things we have, the money we have accumulated, the things we endlessly want more than need, become prominent in our lives, we do not know what being truly rich is. If we are self-sufficient, I need of nothing else, we lie to ourselves.

Jesus doesn't talk about material wealth. His whole point is spiritual wealth, health and blessings (happiness that only comes from Him). We might be blessed with material things but are they as important to us than He is? He is the pure gold, He offers us the opportunity to be clothed in white robes...of righteousness!

Jesus says those who do not fully know HIM are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked...because they do not have Him. He is not First and Last in those lives. He gives so much more than what the world offers. What He gives does not rust or crumble or get burned in fire. What He gives is like refined gold. And He offers it for free just by knowing most intimately Himself. We do not have to work for it, like we do through a livelihood. It's a gift! All we have to do is receive that gift into our hearts and lives. Jesus opens blind eyes, causes deaf to hear and He heals us spiritually. We are able to taste and see that He is good. He is our all in all. And when we recognize this we become thankful for what He has given us. We also, through this recognition, become obedient to Him because our faith has become stronger that He will supply all our needs.

We can have more of the world's riches than we know what to do with but have absolutely nothing in God's kingdom. We may think we've succeeded, we have it all in our lives, have climbed that ladder, but without God we are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. We can give till we're blue in the face but without God first in our lives it means nothing eternally. 

It's true what they say about not being able to "take anything with you" when we die. We do come naked into this world and we will leave the same way. From cradle to grave, God is in control. If we meet Jesus along our life's journey and take Him as our Savior, we will feel rich even with nothing. If we recognize Him and go with His flow we are in good hands. If we choose our own direction we will have lost everything upon death. 

There's a hymn most people know, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. The refrain goes like this:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.

Jesus loves us. As a parent loves and disciplines a child, so does He. It may hurt, like sometimes the truth of His Word hurts, but the discipline is for our good. There was a time I paid no attention to the things of God. They weren't even the slightest thought. But when He began piercing my heart, soul and conscience, I couldn't just push Him aside. I fought Him 
at first. Sometimes that's what we do. But He is persistent. And one day He totally caught my attention and I couldn't walk away. 

Then, we must die in order to live. Jesus did. He is our example. We die to our own beliefs about life, societal matters, right and wrong. Am I perfect? No. He continues to discipline and it's for our own good. But He has been showing me more and more that it is not about all the things we have but who He is. I'm not done. And He's still at work. How I will praise Him for that! 

Philippians‬ ‭3:7-9 - But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which
 is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith...

Nothing, Absolutely Nothing

Ephesians 2:9 - not of works, lest anyone should boast.

I know there are times when I have failed You. That was part of a prayer this morning. The next part is what I need to share. My next words were: I know there will be days ahead, times ahead where I might redeem myself. Ooops. Immediately I knew those words were wrong as soon as they were out of my mouth. I cannot do anything to redeem myself. Jesus has already paid the price.

Praise God for that. Nothing we can do. And yet our nature is to strive. Our nature is to weigh the good and the bad in our lives and pat ourselves on the back if we believe our good outweighs our bad.

This just is not the way of the Lord. He asks nothing in return for His forgiveness of sin through His death. Nothing but receiving Him into our lives, living as if He truly mattered, being obedient to His calls and obedient in the things of God...which means gaining the knowledge and wisdom set forth in His Word.

Once saved we understand what He offers us through His Word. His Word is the Bible yet it is also Jesus Himself, the Word made flesh. His Word shows us all we need...to see ourselves as sinful beings and allow the free saving grace of Jesus to cleanse us of our sins, being washed by His blood, the blood shed for all mankind. Nothing more, nothing less. Hallelujah!

We will continue at times to fail Him. But we can lift our heads and be free of guilt and shame when we continue to confess our sins TO HIM, not to a friend, neighbor, pastor or priest.

A personal relationship with Christ means between you and Him. He is the only Mediator between you and God. No man can do that, no works can do that. It's all about Him. This relationship begins with Him as He opens your eyes to see Him. Then it's about you! Your choosing to receive Him. He will accept you no matter what you have done. Your sins to you may seem greater or less than another's but they are all the same in His eyes. And He will forgive you if you reach out to Him. And He offers this gift freely, expecting nothing in the way of old works in return.

When we give a gift, that's just what it is, a free gift. Some might have ulterior motives thinking now the other person will have to reciprocate. But not Jesus. His gift of salvation from our sins is free. He offers it to us 24/7. Forgiveness of our sins is 24/7 if we ask for forgiveness when we have sinned. His gift was the greatest gift, one we cannot even imagine replicating or outdoing. He died on that cross freely. All our sins were upon Him, a concept too hard to grasp, when He was scourged and spit upon, when He carried His cross, when He was nailed to it, lifted up for all to see, when He was momentarily rejected even by His own Father...when He died. But what did He say amid all this torture: Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. Just before He died He also said, It is finished. The final act of His obedience was done. We have that same opportunity when we say, Lord, I am finished with my old life. I give it to You with all my sins. I ask that You give me a new one through Your forgiveness.

All He asks is receive that gift He offers and know Him. When you know Him all other things come into being, supernaturally. Will we get everything right all the time? Not in this lifetime. That's why we have a Savior, one who can sympathize with our weaknesses, one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are. But He was able to do it without sinning. (Hebrews 4:15). We are not God so we will always fall short.

Join in that personal relationship and be set free. Know that nothing you do in error cannot be forgiven if you only ask. Know that nothing you can try to do to make amends to Him will work. Just admit to Him your sin and move on. But this can only happen in relationship with Him.

Psalm 103:12 - As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

A Radical Concept

John 3:3 - Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

This is a powerfully meaningful statement. It comes from Jesus Himself. They are words in red in my Bible and I have them highlighted...twice...in yellow and green! If Jesus said them, they not only are the truth, they should be listened to and more importantly adhered to.

We are doing a women's Bible study on the Book of John. I love this book. Chapter 3 is pretty much the chapter to read to determine one's salvation, to determine one's understanding of the term born again. If I sound like I'm repeating myself, I am!

To be born again means to be born from above. This is not a physical birth but a spiritual one. It comes from the power of the Holy Spirit in one's life upon receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior. It means a transformation has taken place in one's life. A change in views, for instance.

Before I knew Christ my mindset was different. I knew who Jesus was and I believed there was a God. But I totally misunderstood the words whoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life. I thought that just believing as I did, with my head, not my heart,  made it a done deal. I believed that God would not let anyone perish for eternity because He was a good God. He'd have mercy on all people. 

So how does one believe? I said before a transformation takes place. But it’s not a change that we can make happen. It comes from God. The old lifestyle gets replaced. It's no longer all about me, but about Jesus.

Nicodemus from Chapter 3 went under the cover of night to visit and question Jesus. Why night? He was a religious leader of the Pharisees. Shouldn't he have had all the answers? Here's an interesting comment made from my Dake's Study Bible: Nicodemus misunderstood Jesus [the born again comment] and thought only in human terms. Millions today make the same mistake in comparing the new birth with the old birth. This is the very thing Jesus did not want men to do. The truth is a begetting and a coming into existence [physical] and the other is adoption [spiritual]. And later this comment was made: Jesus expected [Nicodemus] to know the scriptures enough to be saved, but he was like millions in churches today, even many ministers who do not know what the new birth is.

Harsh words? Gnawing at the craw? Jesus didn't preach easy words. He came for a purpose and that was for all to know Him...personally, intimately. If we want to know Him in our own way, we are lost. If we allow His Spirit to teach us, if we are open minded, come as little children, these words are not so hard because we have allowed ourselves to be transformed (and this does NOT mean brainwashed).

Remember, the truth sets us free. Jesus is the Truth. Jesus was radical in His teaching because it went against the “beliefs” of the religious leaders. The Pharisees and Sadduccees believed that if they kept the rules set out before them they were saved. They could not understand the things that Jesus preached and that's why they wanted Him killed. He was a threat. And...He's still a threat today to many.

We are not in relationship with Jesus just by going to church or reading the Bible. There is no one religion that is better than another because all are man made. It's not about religion but about a relationship...a personal relationship...with Jesus Christ. It's between each one of us and Jesus. It's a decision we each must make. I can't make this happen in anybody's life. It happens when something in your spirit catches and says, Pay heed to these words. Just like the fishermen, Jesus says, Follow me. And like the fishermen we are to arise and follow. If there’s a catching in your spirit, go for it! It’s God trying to get your attention.

I remember hearing someone say, and I’m very certain I had the same thought that no one is going to push this born again stuff on me. I thought I "knew" in my mind back then, like the millions in the world today, that this concept was "wrong." NOT! Back then no one could tell me what to do. I "knew" in human terms...but not spiritually. Here in John 3 Jesus Himself is telling us we must be born again, born of water and Spirit. God never changes...His words never change. 

If we don't want to hear the truth, we try to sweep it under the carpet. The world wants less talk about Jesus because the truth exposes lies and who wants to know they've believed a lie. John 3:19-20 - and this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. These are more of Jesus’ red-letter words. They are the truth. And He never changes.

A radical concept, this thing that we are not all basically good people! So, did I consider myself evil twelve years ago? No. I presume most people don't because they aren't murderers or thieves. In comparison to "those others" they are basically good. We are all born to this world in the same way, sinners. And we remain that way no matter how we argue about how good we are until we understand the meaning of being born again.

If a person does not remember a time in their life when they were touched by power of the Holy Spirit and dramatically heart changed, chances are they have not received the new birth that only comes from that relationship (not religion) with Jesus. Ask me about this! When it happened to me I knew nothing about the Holy Spirit, so how could I make up what occurred?

John 3:15 says that whoever believes on Him should not perish but have eternal life. It’s the word “believe” that trips us up, I think. Believe on means to receive by faith, not by works, with the heart...in vitality and depth in our innermost being. It is believing "on" Jesus Christ. He becomes our foundation. It is "in" Him we abide. Faith brings the transformation, not anything we think we can do.

John 3:21 adds to the understanding that it is not by our own efforts we can come into this relationship with the Lord. He WILL do His part in guiding people to receive Him...that nudging that so often gets pushed aside, those words that make us grumble time and time again or make us think who do they think they are saying this? Believe me, I know. I got snarly when I heard this too often! And one day as snarly as I was one second, the next, for no reason I could explain at the time, I was weeping because I wanted to hear God’s voice...and the next day I did, and I experienced the power of the Holy Spirit..and it was the beginning of the transformation I was talking about.

So, this radical concept...being born again. Not man’s plan! It’s in Jesus’ words! In red! If it were man’s plan, maybe it would be accepted. However, God’s plan of salvation doesn’t meet the criteria of the average person. (I can’t remember if I heard this or wrote it myself!) It is a radical concept. If this seems radical, it’s because He was radical...to the point where religious leaders wanted to kill Him because He criticized them for their attempts to keep the laws when they couldn’t...and radical today because there are so many who want any mention of God’s name removed. 

We cannot keep all the rules. When we grasp this and grasp that we all fit into the category of imperfect, we will see a need for a Savior. When we fear today or on our deathbed whether we’ve been good enough, whether we did enough, we might see a need for a Savior. Seek Him now and avoid the fear. 

It’s only by childlike faith and not by any work of our own, no amount of our own good deeds, the amount of time we spend in church, which church we attend or even how often we read the Bible, if we do (which we should anyway) but only through receiving Christ and having a personal, not religious, relationship with Him. Then we have entered into the light, received the truth and realized that NOW our deeds have been done in God (John 3:21). Jesus really does save! His free gift of salvation. These words are from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ:

John 3:21 - But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.

Remember This

Hebrews 10:1 - For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.

The animal sacrifices that were done continually in the Old Testament could do no more than keep reminding Israel of their sins and could never release them of their bondage. In Hebrews 10:11 we are told and every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifice, which can never take away sins.

Two things stood out in our study of Hebrews by the Life Change Series. The phrase make perfect is defined like this: not sinless perfection, but "that definitive removal of guilt which makes free access to God possible." Hallelujah! And in Hebrews 10:11 the word stands means the priests never sat because their work was never done.

Oh, here's the answer to an underlying question. I knew this but this definition added to my understanding! I questioned the work being done in me...and in all who have received Christ.  We don't always see in us what God sees. We're at a bit of a disadvantage, if you want to call it that. I think we don't see all our goodness for a reason...to keep us closer to the Lord, to keep us seeking and searching...perhaps even to keep our pride in check. However, and this is a big however, we have been made perfect at the defining moment when we received Christ as our Savior, when we became in Christ. But that perfection, as noted above, is not sinless perfection.

What good news. At the moment we receive, our cracked pots are forever being perfected! Sometimes reading this in a different context is sometimes necessary...and this definition could have just been waiting for me...or had I done my Hebrews lesson sooner, might I have not gone through a few days of discouragement...or did I go through the discouragement to learn another valuable lesson or confidence? Food for thought...bread of life!

Back to Hebrews 10:1...it is talking about Jesus. Nothing new. So many things in the Old Testament speak of Jesus. Jesus is the shadow of good things to come throughout the Old Testament. All the dreaded, but at the time necessary sacrifices, which did nothing to alleviate the sin of the people, only remind them of how sinful they were. And, oh, those poor priests. In a study Bible I have, the futility of their work was pointed out in these words which nail the feeling they must have felt: utter helplessness. They could never finish the work set before them. They knew their work would never be complete. 

That's why Jesus came, to mend cracked pots and forever perfect us who are forever in need of perfection. His single, perfect, human sacrifice did what the animal sacrifices could not. He did it all and only one time for anyone who wishes to receive Him. He even said: It is finished. What a glorious ending of a magnificent life for us. 

In the same vein, none of the good works we attempt do before knowing Him will get us to that place of true salvation. They, too, are all futile. Those who try will only be like the priests...utterly helpless in achieving that goal of salvation, working, working, working and getting nowhere until, hopefully, acknowledgement of Jesus as the only true Savior and the simple act of receiving Him is finished. 

Quit trying to work at it. Easter is upon us. Rejoice that Jesus has He died for all our sins and raised up from the dead. Just as we die to ourselves and give our lives to Him, we are raised up. No repetitious prayers, no great works. Just a contrite heart willing to fully accept what Jesus has done for us. No one can do what He has done. If there's anything He will accept as payment, it's our lives poured out for Him like a drink offering. Our hands must be open to receive. If your fists are clenched, loosen them up!

Hebrews 9:9 - It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience—

Bible in a Nutshell

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

I found this one day and stored it away to share. How one verse of scripture can be explained by many others. This is the one scripture that says it all. My comments are in red. If it seems like too much scripture, let me just add that scripture will always speak for itself. They are God's words and more powerful than my own. (I have to say that I did not include all of the scriptures suggested because some were repetitive.)

Bible In A Nutshell by Naveen Balakrishnan

John 3:16-3:16!

1.      God’s GRACE (v. 16a) - For God so loved the world ...

Deuteronomy 7:8 - ...but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage...

Besides the bondage of addictions, it is the bondage of wrong thinking, ignorance as it were of the truth of God's word. This ignorance can be an innocent type of ignorance...until you have been exposed to the truth.

Jeremiah 31:3 - The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.

He draws us. We do not find Him. Anyone who has received Christ will understand this. 

Malachi 1:2 - "I have loved you," says the LORD. 

He loved us first. Can you honestly say you have told the Lord you love Him?

Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1John 4:9-10, 19 - In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. We love Him because He first loved us.

While we were yet sinners...He loved us. Think about those people who you find difficult to be around or those who are known criminals or murderers. God loves even them. 

2.      God’s GIFT (v. 16b) - that He gave His only Begotten Son 

Isaiah 9:6 - For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

John 1:14 - And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  

2 Corinthians 9:15 - Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 

He gave His only Son. He sacrificed Him so the world could be saved. And Jesus allowed Himself to be sacrificed...greater love...Jesus tells us: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

3.      God’s GOSPEL (v. 16c) - that whosoever believeth in Him 

Joel 2:32 - And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. 

John 3:36 - He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

Acts 16:30-31 - And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."

Galatians 2:16 - knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. 

2Corinthians 4:3-4 - But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

Believing in Christ is more than saying you know who He is; it's having the faith of a mustard seed, the openness of a child, to know that you know in your heart that He has called you and responding in an act of faith. The act of faith is done in your heart first and then confessed publicly. It is not by your good deeds or works in this world, being a good person, donating money to worthy causes or belonging to a church; Jesus did the work...you just need to receive what He has done in your heart. He will guide your heart after that. 

4.      God’s GLORY (v. 16d) - should not perish but have everlasting life 

1John 5:11-12 - ...God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

John 10:27-28 - My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

Romans 5:21 - so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

John 17:3 - And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Oh, the glory of God, that we should have everlasting life! We obviously will not see that until we die and we can only hope that today we are in right relationship with Him to receive this everlasting life. This life is given to us through Jesus; it is a gift; we cannot buy it or work for it. It all depends on whether we have chosen to receive Christ, live for Him, know His will for our lives and be obedient to His will. Then our good works are relevant because the works are done through God's power in us and for Him as our Heavenly Father.

Romans 8:32 - He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

The One Thing

Matthew 19:16, 21 - Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" "...Follow Me."

I picked up a book sitting on the bookshelf. It's called Hiding God, The Ambition of World Religion by Warren Henderson. The first point brought up talked about what seems to be the many different religions we know of in this world and the difference between the concepts of these religions. 

(As an aside, after I had written my draft of this blog, I listened to a song that was linked in an email to me. It took my thoughts into another direction and yet the same direction! Make sense? Well......women's minds do that much to the chagrin of men! There are times when "just coming to the point" can't happen.)

One of the first quotes in Hiding God is from Oswald Chambers and you know I like this guy! He says: Christianity is not a devotion to work, or to a cause, or a doctrine, but a devotion to a person, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Well, there you have it in a nutshell. It's about a relationship not religion. Sound familiar if you read my blog? Jesus doesn't want us following the sometimes misguided doctrines of a church, or work for a cause, but to follow Him personally. No church is perfect...but Jesus is.

A question was posed once awhile back to a man named Harry Ironside, a teacher, preacher and author, as he was preaching the streets: There are hundreds of religions...and each sect thinks theirs the only right one. How can plain men like us find out what really is the truth? Ironside's response was there were only two religions: the one covers all who expect salvation by doing; the other, all who have been saved by something done...so, can you save yourself, or must you be saved by another? If you can be your own savior, you do not need my message. If you cannot, you may well listen to it.  Ooooh, I like preachers who just tell it like it is! And, oh, to have words like that flow off my tongue or fingers! 

John 19:30 - "It is finished."  So, Jesus Christ died for my sins. It's not about the good deeds I did but about what One Man freely did for me. Our deeds (outward religious acts, ceremonies, and sacrifices) are as filthy rags and not one of us is good (Isaiah 64:6). There is only One whose perfection we cannot obtain, so we need Him...we need His work done on the cross that removes our rags. Our pride is our stumbling block. No one wants to think anything but that we are basically good people. How many times have we heard this? "Oh, I do good things for people, give generously, help others, go to church, give to the church, work hard for a living, am patriotic and vote, teach these things to my children, so I believe I'm a good person. That goodness will be seen by a loving God and that will saved me." 

No, sadly, those works will not. We are to give ourselves to and delight ourselves first in Christ. He then gives us the desires of our hearts, which I believe become our good works. This is a hard word. Nothing we do without Christ is worthy. A confession of faith is first necessary. A devotion to Christ, not to ourselves. Apart from Christ we are nothing...nothing. 

When we confess our sins to Jesus, we are to, by faith, believe it is so. That's why Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished." His work was done. It was His work...not ours. All we need to do now is receive Him and accept that. We no longer need to return to repeat that confession if it's heartfelt in the first place. We can instantaneously ask for forgiveness when we have sinned...just ask Him then and there. No need to store up a list to confess later. 

The guilt and feeling of needing to be saved again and again is not having faith. I struggled with this idea for some time until I realized it was a once and for all thing. It should also not be a feeling of fear, a scare tactic toward salvation. If you have done this you will only receive peace, acceptance and a feeling of freedom.

How do I know these things? I've read them, not in the newspaper, self-help book or in the latest magazine or seen it in mainstream media (even fair and balanced) but in the Bible. I've experienced them and I've heard them preached, too, but it was after my acceptance that my eyes were opened. It was also then that I realized that I was loved for who I was...I was beautiful in His sight, warts and sins and all. Like Glenn Beck who daily tells us not to just believe him but check things out ourselves, we are to test the scriptures (Acts 17:11).

If our religion tells us our salvation is based on the good deeds we do, it's wrong! We can work our heinies off and never accomplish what Jesus did. We should not fear we will not be accepted if we don't do good. We can't ever be good enough. We can never do enough work. We can have confidence, however, that our heartfelt confession of Jesus Christ and devotion to Him will save us. The truth, the whole truth and nothing but this truth is: it is Jesus Christ who has done the thing...the one thing...He died for the forgiveness of our sins. Does that sound like something we can do? Does that sound like what other religions believe? God so loved the world....that He GAVE...GAVE... John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Salvation is not works but simply accepting the free gift He has finished for us. It's not free if we have to work for it. Ephesians 2:8 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God...

Oh, people, such a simple matter that is so hard to comprehend. Probably because it's so simple. Why do we insist on complicating things or trying to strive for them? We can't imagine a God who loves us so much when we've been brought up in a society or world or family where it is expected that we "do" in order to be. I always felt if I was just smarter, just prettier, just thinner, achieved more, made less mistakes in everything I did, people, parents or friends would like me more; I'd be more accepted, more beautiful. Even today those thoughts linger until I remember that Jesus loves me the way I am because I have received His free gift of salvation. I am (we are) beautiful (as Mercy Me tells us in this song) in His eyes. Please watch the video! And to those whom I have criticized or have lost patience with, forgive me...you're beautiful too, especially to God.

Some day the truth will be revealed and it will be freeing. Until then, seek the truth. Search the scriptures for the truth of who Jesus is. Listen to His words. What freedom to know the simplicity of what He tells us. Grab your Bible or go online. Carefully, slowly, read the Book of John in the Gospels of the New Testament. That's all I ask. Challenge yourself. Refuse the mindset that it's too difficult to understand. Ask God to help you see. Ask that the voice of Jesus be heard. 

Psalm 37:4 - Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.