Life is in the Name

Life is in the Name 

by David Brenneman 

"Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”   Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;  but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name." John 20:29-31.

“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.

All who have come after Jesus's life death burial and resurrection, and all who lived before it and looked to the future of it, are among those who were and are blessed. 

Prophetically speaking we could be living in the last days before the Rapture of the Church of God. 

Searching the Scriptures we really do not see any "must happen" events prior to the Great Tribulation of which those who are saved in Christ Jesus will never see.

Jesus made a promise...that He would indeed return to take all who have believed with Himself to His Heaven.  

Are you among these people?

Are you among those of whom Paul writes? 

"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.

For those who are saved...Paul also writes: "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1.

We who are not going to be judged by what's happened in our lives.  The righteousness of Jesus Christ is ours through faith in Him and His finished work on the cross. 

We will give an account of our lives before Jesus.  Our deeds done in our lives will amount to something.  They will be tried by fire and what gold of righteousness that survives will become a crown of righteousness to give back to Jesus for all He's done for us. 

Are you saved?  If not, why not?  What's keeping you back?  What is that keeps you from the unconditional love of God for you in Christ Jesus?

Your life as you know it?

Your possessions?

Your desires?

Your feelings?

Your family?

Your friends?

All of these things have to remain in this world should you die today. 

All of these things will never amount to the cost of salvation that only Jesus Christ paid.

Only through faith in Jesus Christ can you receive the free gift of salvation.  Only through faith will your name be written in the most important book of all eternity. 

It doesn't matter what you think is important. 

It doesn't matter what you think is good enough. 

The Holy God of all creation set the standard for salvation from sin that all humans are born into. 

That standard had to be a perfect life followed by a perfect sacrifice of that perfect life and the only one who did this is Jesus Christ. 

Your time is running out my Dear Reader.  Jesus is as alive today as He was over 2,000 years ago.  He's waiting for that last person who will be saved before that date set by His Father. 

Could it be you?  It might be. 

It might be that you coming to Christ for salvation sets in motion the next person who is that one.

Our lives were not meant to be lived separated from God.  Hell is an eternal separation from God paying for sins that can only be cast away by the work of Jesus Christ. 

Check your heart today.  You read that part earlier.  Go back to it. The part from Romans.  

Jesus is ready at the door of your heart waiting for you to let Him in.

You may think you know what love is...my Dear Reader...you ain't seen nothing yet until you decide to follow Jesus and receive His free gift to you of His salvation. 

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.