For God The Bible starts with these words, “In the beginning, God... (Genesis 1:1)” Before time, space and matter existed, God existed. God is eternal. There is only one God existing in three persons, Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit. God created the heavens and the earth. God created mankind. God blessed mankind and walked with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. All life comes from God and life makes no sense without God. We were created for a personal relationship with God that was intended to be eternal and perfect. But we blew it! so loved The Bible says that “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). Love doesnt just describe Gods actions but his very nature. The Greek word used for love, “agape”, means love which gives 100% with no conditions attached, regardless of how the person being loved might respond. Note it says God “so” loved. His love was “so” great that he did not hold back his only begotten Son but freely gave him as a sacrifice for your sin. His love was “so” great that he gave Jesus while you were in sin and rebellion against him. His love was “so” great that he gave Jesus to pay the penalty for his enemies. The Bible says it is rare that someone would die for a righteous person though this may happen (Romans 5:7-8). But God “so” loved the world, he died for his enemies . In their hatred they crucified him but he prayed “Father forgive them, they know not what they do.” the world, The world includes everyone and everyone includes you. God created the world. The world rebelled against God. God came to rescue the world because “There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one... For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:10-12, 23). It couldnt be clearer. If you compare yourself to others, you may come up looking pretty clean but its a different picture when you look at yourself through Gods eyes. Listen to what the Bible says, “Every way of a man [is] right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts” (Proverbs 21:2). We all need rescuing and the death of Jesus was for all. Some may be evil in your eyes but we are all evil in the eyes of him who sees the heart. Yet, no matter who you are, no matter what youve done, no matter who loves you or not, no matter what others think of you, no matter whether you feel you are deserving of hell or not, Jesus died for all and that includes you. that he gave We did the crime, he paid the fine. He paid a debt he didnt owe because we owed a debt we couldnt pay. Gods love demands justice, that your sin be paid for. Gods love is also seen in his mercy, so God himself paid the penalty for your sin. Its not that God was going to sacrifice you on a cross but the cross was the ultimate place of curse and rejection at that time and God chose that as the place to put the curse of sin on Jesus and reject him in your place. Because he was the perfect sacrifice and had not sinned, God raised him from death. While his justice demanded you suffer the curse for sin and be rejected in hell for ever, his mercy paid the price so you could go free. It was your sin that put Jesus on the cross but he went there willingly. You are loved “so” much to God, that he took the initiative to bring you back after you had strayed. The value of a thing is shown by the price paid. You are of great worth because you were purchased by the blood of the Son of God. Thats how much God wants you in heaven! his only begotten Son, Jesus is God incarnate, God in human form, God in the flesh (John 1:14). As in the words of the Christmas carol: “God of God, light of light... very God, begotten not created.” He was not created because he already existed as almighty God. Yet, by the power of Gods Spirit, he was also made human and this life began in the womb of Mary. As God gave him human life, in that sense, God was his Father. He was the only begotten sent from the Father. He was begotten from God but not created by God. He was not Gods Son in any sense before he entered the world in human form. He existed before the creation of the world; he made the world (John 1:1-3) and by his power it is held together (Colossians 1:16-18). When he took on human form, he did not stop being God. But, in the greatest act of humility the world has known, he laid aside the use of his divine power, subjected himself to God as Father and lived on earth as a human. His miracles were not the result of exercising the divine power he used to created the universe but were a result of a perfect faith in God. He was the perfect man. He was in every sense, the second Adam but without sin. “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:6-9). Gods law demanded that sin could only be paid for by a perfect sacrifice. Jesus was that sacrifice! that whosoever We have already seen that “God so loved the world” and that includes you. “Whosoever” personalises it even more. “Whosoever” shuts out no one. No one can say God doesnt love them because God has made it clear that whosoever will, may be saved from his wrath against their sin. No one has to be cast into the lake of fire. If anyone goes to eternal hell, it is by their own choice! It is because they have rejected Gods personal invitation. The invitation is to anyone and everyone. God does not want anyone, any human soul, to miss out. If only we understood how patient God was in not destroying the world already for its sin. He did it before and he will do it again (2 Peter 3:6-7)! Listen to what the Bible says, “The Lords is not slack concerning his promise [to judge the world] as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering [very, very patient] to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Any and all, includes you. He is pleading and waiting for you to come to your senses, humble yourself, repent and trust Christ - or do you choose eternal hell? believeth in him [dont miss this] The Bible says that “devils” (ie. demonic beings, fallen angels, evil spirits) believe (James 2:19). But their belief does not save them for it also says that they “tremble” in fear since they know the day of judgement is coming (Matthew 8:29). So you need to understand what the Bible means when it says that those who “believeth in him” will not “perish” but have “everlasting life”. Simply put, the belief spoken of means putting your personal trust “in him”. Its not just belief in your mind that Jesus is God and he died for sinners (like the devils believe), its belief “in him”! Its personal. Its belief that trusts “in him” with your very life. Trust that shows itself in action. The action that God requires of you to demonstrate that what you have come to believe in your heart is true (you are a sinner and Jesus died for you) is confession. Jesus said, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32). The Bible also says, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Belief with the heart and confession with the mouth go together to save you and make your righteous before God. What does it mean then to “confess” Jesus before men? First of all, because confess means to speak, your confession must be to others. You do not need to confess your sin to a priest but to God in prayer. Hes the one youve sinned against. When you have done that, you must make that confession public by telling others what God has done for you (John 4:28-9). Secondly, because your confession is about Jesus (who he is and what he has done for you) it will mean openly admitting youre a sinner and you accept Jesus death as payment for your sin. It will be a confession that declares you repent, turn away from, a life controlled by sinful self. It will be a confession that declares personal trust in Jesus to forgive your sin and your choice to serve and follow him. Note: it will not be a promise to be perfect but a confession that you are not. Its worth saying a bit more about repentance. Repentance is not simply regretting the wrong youve done or even saying “sorry” to God. That doesnt save you. Repentance means to TURN. Its an “about-turn” in the attitude of your mind that will be demonstrated in the way you live. Repentance and trust are two sides of the same coin. To put your trust in Jesus, you must first turn your back on sin. Repentance does not mean being perfect or making a promise never to sin again – we would all fail. Repentance involves confessing to God you have been going the wrong way, your way, naming the ways you have gone astray (ie. your many sins). Repentance means making a conscious decision of your own free will to turn your back on all known sin. On the one hand, you are turning away from evil because you are ashamed of it and know it to be wrong. On the other hand, you are choosing to follow Jesus, to seek out and do his will for your life as shown in the Bible. This is called doing the works or, “fruits worthy of repentance” (Luke 3:8) - not good works to get you into heaven since no one is good enough for that. Rather, outward evidence of the change that has taken place in your heart. Confessing Christ before men, and living a life that honours the one who saved you may cost you in this life, but it will save your soul from eternal hell and you bring you the gift of eternal life. See next to boxes... should not perish, Eternity in Hell, the lake of fire: torment;shame: separation; gnashing of teeth; regret; hate; outer darkness; Satan; for ever and ever and ever. Repent now or this is where you are going! but have everlasting life.” Eternity in Heaven, beauty beyond understanding, pleasure; glory; fellowship; no weeping; gratitude; love; light; God; for ever and ever and ever. Gods free gift to all who humble self, repent and put their trust in Jesus. All paid for by God on the cross because he loves you!
Posted on: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 21:11:16 +0000
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