Salvation
Many people want heaven but are not willing to follow Jesus to get there.
1. Is repentance necessary for salvation?
How can repentance not be necessary? The Greek word for repent means to think differently or afterward, that is to reconsider. Repentance is a (1) acknowledgment/ recognition of your state of sin, (2) a declaration/ commitment to turn from sin, and (3) a focus to turn to God in righteous conduct according to His standard. It is part of the process leading toward the forgiveness of sins as identified in Acts 2:38.
Keep your heart and life clean before God.
This could be your last day on earth.
Selah.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. —Matthew 13:47-50
In this parable, Jesus is describing the kingdom of heaven. The net is cast into the sea and collects sea creatures of every kind. After coming ashore, the good and bad were separated. In like manner, the kingdom of heaven is shared with many people around the world. And many people will come to Jesus, the church, etc. At the end of the world, the angels will come and separate the just from the wicked.
1. God drew you. The just and the wicked will be separated, but the beauty of this parable is that the just and the wicked are gathered together. The wicked has an opportunity to become just.
Hebrews 9:11-15 – But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
Under the Law of Moses, the high priest would present himself in the holiest of all to offer sacrifices for the sins of his own life and the people. This was a yearly requirement as there was no sacrifice of bulls and goats that could obtain eternal salvation for the people. Each year, another sacrifice was given…
In Jesus, He gave His life as a sacrifice for all humanity. One sacrifice. One sacrifice that would stand as an eternal redemption for us. There would be no need for us to continually be purged from sins year after year for Christ’s sacrifice would stand eternally on our behalf.
So, what does that mean for us?
May 9, 2009
Being Born Again
John 3:1-7 – There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
As Nicodemus conversed with Jesus, He explains that a man cannot see the kingdom of God unless is he born again. Though Nicodemus considered the physical aspect of being born again (enter the second time into his mother’s womb), Jesus had another meaning altogether…
Mark 8:36-37 – For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Though there are many things the ‘world’ would consider being important (i.e. family, job), the most important is your soul. For different people, gaining the world will mean something different. At the root, gaining the world is anything that does not place your spiritual life before God first, causing your soul (and eternal salvation) to be at risk.
There are many times when the world comes knocking on our doorstep. Be it promotion, position, or people, they call for our attention at the expense of our soul. These desires seldom originate from outside ‘elements,’ as our flesh is the culprit for all types of lustful desires (James 1:14-15). If we place our focus on these desires, we find that they begin to draw us away from the thing that should matter most in our lives–God. Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t love your family or be a good worker (as scripture says we should – Matthew 22:34-40; John 13:34-35; Colossians 3:22-24), however, we must not love them more than the Lord (Matthew 10:37-39).
We can obtain the highest position at our jobs or gain the popularity of an entire country, but if our soul isn’t ‘right,’ it profits nothing!
Think for a second…what would your life be like if you placed the condition of your soul as the top priority? There would probably be a lot of decisions you wouldn’t make, a lot of places you wouldn’t go, and A WHOLE LOT of things you wouldn’t do.
What is preventing you from serving God fully and focusing on your soul? …and are you willing to give up those things hindering you? Remember, the flesh (and lust) will not allow this decision to be made without a fight (Galatians 5:16-17).
The decision you make may cause you to lose a promotion, popularity, or some other ‘benefit,’ but what you gain is the GREATEST benefit of all and lasts for an eternity! Think about it and choose wisely!
Photo courtesy of freeimages.com/Zern Liew
Luke 18:18-23 – And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
People grow up from different backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs. As Christians, we are called to make disciples of all nations, but what do we do when people don’t want to hear about God, accept our invitations to attend church, or receive our messages of salvation?
Follow Us
Search the site
Disclaimer
Privacy Policy
Terms and Conditions
Website Information
Shopping cart
Total
Shipping and discount codes are added at checkout.
Checkout