by David Brenneman
"Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?" Ezekiel 18:23
"For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord God. “Therefore, repent and live.” Ezekiel 18:32
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” John 3:16-21
"But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”" Romans 10:8-13.
Was skipping through some videos last night and a supposed comedian was being as they were, making an exaggeration on the Bible and about God's views on people.
The truth is there is no laughing matter concerning sin and eternal separation from Jesus Christ.
But the door of opportunity must be opened by the person who seeks the free gift of salvation offered through Jesus. It's your heart that you are inviting Him into.
Jesus isn't willing that any should perish. Reading it in the Old Testament earlier...here's the same in the New Testament. "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9.
He isn't going to force open the door to your heart.
Throughout your life you open your heart to other people, places and things. So how to do this...you already know.
Jesus, not just through the Gospels, but recorded in historical records lived and died just as the Bible says.
A very old song has a very powerful statement in it. "While He was on the cross, I was on His mind".
My Dear Reader, that hasn't changed. You are still on His mind. Night and day, 24/7 365 days a year.
It doesn't matter what choices you made or how dirty you think you are. Doesn't matter how you look to yourself or how you think others view you. You might be well off or you might feel like every day you are alive that it feels like you are drowning. Jesus is willing and able to reach down into those circumstances and pull you out.
Time exists for mankind, not for God. The Bible says that at the right time...He was born of a virgin. At the right time. It wasn't just because of the lives of Mary and Joseph. At the right time in the development of humanity. God's timing is always perfect. Humanity was developing a commerce infrastructure. Roadways. Ship building techniques.
Jesus's life was spent pointing people to Himself, both before His death, burial and resurrection, but afterwards. Over 500 people saw Him after the resurrection. Many came back to life and lived on for many years.
Jesus is waiting at your heart's door for you. He cannot open that door since there's no knob on that side.
Forgiveness is that close to you.
The lifting of that weight is that close to you.
So many people are weighed down by sins that they aren't even aware are sins. Until they came to Christ for salvation and said yes to it...they didn't know what true freedom felt like.
A childhood song is as true today as it has been for many decades.
Jesus loves me this I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to Him belong
They are weak but He is strong
Yes Jesus loves me!
Yes Jesus loves me
Yes Jesus loves me!
the Bible tells me so
We over complicate coming to Christ for salvation. We have so many questions yet we don't realize they can all wait. Take that step and wait for Him to do what salvation requires and then see if there are any questions that remain.
You don't need any special education.
You don't need to fear what might happen next.
You don't need to worry about tomorrow either.
You come to Christ for salvation and immediately your life is hidden with Christ in God. He takes responsibility for your life, its only on us to live in obedience to God's Word.
"I hear the Savior say, “Thy strength indeed is small, Child of weakness, watch and pray, Find in Me thine all in all.” Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; sin had left a crimson stain...He washed it white as snow. " - Hymn 'Jesus Paid it All'.
Why fight for things, for feelings, for emotions, even for people that will not ever fill that God sized place in your heart?
Jesus, while on the cross, thought of every single human being that ever lived or would live. Including you.
He is waiting for you.
My Bible says there is a fixed day in which Jesus will return again and take all who have called upon Him for salvation. A day fixed by the Father’s own authority. We know not when other than when all pertinent prophecies have been completed. 7 years of the most raging Hell on Earth will happen soon afterwards. The final judgments upon mankind as written in the Bible. Billions upon billions of people will die. Many other billions will be deceived by a man the Bible calls the Antichrist. A man whom will demand that all worship him. A man who will claim to be God. You might think that as farfetched...however how much of what you have already seen in this world was farfetched to you only a few years ago?
Some might consider themselves as unworthy of this free gift of salvation. Newsflash: everyone is.
It's not at all about what you have done...but all on Jesus for what He's done to offer you eternal life in Him.
It is a limited time offer. Why wait?
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
No comments:
Post a Comment