“The First Step”

I attended a birthday party recently for one of my stepdaughter’s school friends.  A man told a Bible story at the start of the party.  At the end of the story (which didn’t include the gospel), he made everyone close their eyes and say the “sinner’s prayer.”  Afterward, he asked for how many of us was that the first time we “asked Jesus into their hearts.”

I have a big problem with that.

Salvation is NOT a prayer.  Salvation is nothing we do.  The only reason we have salvation is because Christ shed His blood and died on the cross, was buried, and was resurrected on the third day.  Nothing else on this earth can give us salvation.

For one to be saved, the very first thing that must happen is that they must be called by God (Jn. 6:44, 65; 1 Cor. 1:9; 2 Pt. 1:3; Jude 1).  This is the absolute first step.  Salvation can not be obtained without first being called by God.

When God calls someone, He sends the Holy Spirit to work in a person to convict them of their sins; to bring them to the realization that they need Jesus Christ and that He is the only one who can save them and give them hope (Jn. 16:8-11; Acts 4:12).

The person then has a decision to make: they can either accept the calling of Almighty God by giving their lives to Jesus, by accepting Him as their Savior and Lord through faith [faith is both a mind and heart condition—faith includes believing the truth and all the facts about Christ, plus trusting Christ and obeying His word] (Jn. 14:21), or they can foolishly say, “NO!” to the calling of God thereby accepting their destiny in hell—knowing they may never get another chance.  For, although God is a loving and gracious God, He may not call a person twice.

Salvation is free, yes.  Salvation is easy, yes.  But one cannot be saved by words or deeds or emotions—one can be saved only by having a repentant heart, through faith by grace alone (Eph. 2:8-9).  I hate to think how many people are in this world believing or proclaiming to be followers of Christ because they simply said a prayer, when in fact they never experienced a change; the Holy Spirit never entered them and transformed their hearts and minds; they were never born of God (Jn. 1:12-13, 3:3).  I hate to think how many professors of Christ are out there who live lives consistent with the Devil—whatever it may be (whether it be drugs, alcohol, lying, homosexuality, swearing, adultery), any life lived in sin is a life inconsistent with the Christian life (Jn. 3:20, 8:12; 1 Jn. 2:4, 3:4-10).  A false Christian can live a life seemingly consistent with Christ, but they will always eventually turn back to sin because they don’t have the Holy Spirit and they never had true faith—think of Judas Iscariot (none of the disciples knew he was the betrayer [Mk. 14:18-19]).  I know there are many of these people. I’ve seen them.  I’ve heard about them.  These are the people who at judgment will be told by Christ, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (Mt. 7:21-23).

Do not be fooled by false messages of salvation.  And do not teach false messages of salvation.  Know the Word, know the Truth.  Teach the Word, teach the Truth.  It’s only by Christ’s blood and God’s grace that we are saved.

Niki

"Death’s Stinging Grip"

A woman dies after 114 years of life.
A 55-year-old woman dies after fighting brain cancer for 6 years.
A 74-year-old man dies after a slow and steady decline in heath.

We sometimes expect death to come.  There are times we feel that death is welcome compared to the suffering taking place.

A skateboarding 14-year-old boy is struck and killed by a drunk driver.
A 59-year-old man is mauled to death by lions.
A 23-year-old is killed after gunmen opened fire on in his car while driving along the Mexican border.

Death also comes when it’s least expected.  Death often comes when we don’t want it to; when we don’t feel that it’s fair.
 
Either way, expected or not, death comes.  Man brought death on himself (Gen. 3).  We may as well be ready for it.

Are you scared to death of death?  If you haven’t given your heart and life to Jesus Christ and accepted His sacrifice for you, repented and turned to Christ in obedience to God’s Word, then you should be afraid.  Death to you may simply mean no longer being, with your body buried waiting for decay to take its toll and for your body to be consumed by worms and the like, and that’s the end of it.  Regardless of your limited view, the Bible says that if you haven’t accepted Christ, you will not have such a “nice,” simple ending as that.  Instead, you will find yourself in torment worse than you’ve ever imagined.  A torment that you will experience for eternity, forever and ever, with no relief.  And you will know why you’re there, why you’re suffering.  You will know that, because of your foolish denial of the Holy Son of God, you subjected yourself to the everlasting wrath of God.

My neighbor’s wife just recently died.  I expressed my condolences to him, and he stated that she was very sick, so the death was expected and almost a relief.  He then said that “she believed in God a lot, so … .”  She believed in God a lot?  So what!  You better believe that demons believe in God too.  They know who He is and what He can do.  But that doesn’t save them from His wrath.  God is a holy God.  God’s holiness absolutely cannot look upon any sin with favor.  This is why He gave us His precious Son, to shed His blood and die for us, for those willing to accept His gift of salvation.  Let Christ destroy death’s power over you!  Only Christ can give you a victory over death and it’s sting (Heb. 2:14-15).

We who have accepted Christ’s sacrifice for us, we who have admitted our sinfulness, confessed our sins, repented of our evil ways, and turned to God…WE ARE VICTORS!  We can truly say, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Cor. 54-55).   For we know that Christ has overcome the world and the evil one who is in it!  Our victory is through our Lord Jesus Christ, thanks to God the Father.

Yes, death brings grief to loved ones, because death produces an emptiness…that person is longer there, and it’s brings great heartache.  But we as Christians should never fear death.  Frankly, as strange as it may sound to your ears, I absolutely look forward to death!  I know that to be out of this body is to be present with my Lord, to be in His arms, to be comforted and loved like I’ve never been before, to look upon my Lord and worship Him—He who made and sustained me, He who gave me life, and then gave me LIFE!

Don’t let death keep a fearful hold on you.  Allow Christ to vanquish that fear!  Don’t let death have power over you.  Fill yourself with the power of God.  Accept Christ today.  Now is a perfect time.

God is so good.

I pray you have a wonderfully blessed day, and may God touch your hearts as well as mine.
Niki

The TRUTH about Homosexuality

What’s wrong with homosexuality?  Many people these days will say that the only thing wrong with it is that some people are against it.  What happened between the time when homosexuality was so incredibly taboo that people were ashamed even to mention it, to the time today where it is seemingly accepted by the vast majority in the United States that people parade down streets half naked while engaging in homosexual behavior? 

A friend of mine asked her friends for assistance in determining the timeline of homosexuality for a college psychology class she was taking.  I and a couple others responded with websites outlining the main events in the homosexual movement.  The thing was, none of those outlines identified any reasons for the  increased prevalence/acceptance of homosexuality.  What are those reasons? 

To answer these questions, we must first convey the authoritative view on homosexuality.  This view comes from the inerrant Word of God, the Bible.  It is clear that homosexuality is wrong.  The most obvious explanation for this is the fact that God made man as male and female, to marry and procreate (Gen. 1:27-28, 2:18-24).  Jesus confirms this definition of marriage (Mk. 10:6-9; Mt. 19:4-6), as does Paul (Eph. 5:31).  By accepting homosexuality, you reject, not only the created order of God, but God Himself, for He is the Creator.

There are numerous references to homosexuality being immoral, unnatural (Jude 7; Rom. 1:26-27), an abomination (Lev. 18:22, 20:13), a great and grave sin (Gen. 13:13, 18:20), and that those who practice it are wicked (Gen. 13:13, 18:23, 25, Gen. 19:4-7).  Both partakers in a homosexual act were to be put to death in the Israelite community (Lev. 20:13).  The sin of homosexuality was so great that Sodom and Gomorra were severely punished with unmitigated destruction (Gen. 18:20-19:29), making the offenders a great example to the ungodly (2 Pet. 2:6-7; Jude 7).  Homosexuals are no different from, or worse than, murderers, adulterers, liars, or all others who possess a sinful lifestyle.  Their overall end is the same: hell-eternal separation from God.  The Bible states that none who live a sinful lifestyle will make it into the kingdom of God (1 Tim. 1:8-10; 1 Cor. 6:9-10). 

So why is homosexuality wrong?  Because God said so, even if you don’t believe in Him (He still loves you).  It is pretty clear to me that homosexuality is not simply a normal “alternate lifestyle,” but instead is a blatant sinful lifestyle characteristic of the unsaved.  So why does the world not see this clear description of it?  After all, murder and child abuse aren’t tolerated or looked upon as “just another way to live.”  And you don’t have to believe in God to see that homosexual relations are simply not normal…you cannot procreate.  Well, let’s now answer our first two questions (in the 1st and 2nd paragraphs).

The increased acceptance of homosexuality, and, in truth, acceptance/tolerance of evil in general, is a direct result of the denial of God and, therefore, His Word.  People have forever tried to remove God from everything, even this country’s God-centered history.  This country has managed to remove public prayer [1] and Bible reading [2] from schools, make posting of the Ten Commandments unconstitutional [3], make student-led, student-initiated prayer at football games illegal [4]; prayers are not allowed to be in Jesus’ name; the US Capitol Visitors Center has removed all inferences to God and religious history [5]; and numerous others.  They know that without God, there is no morality, except that which man creates.  To remove God is to suppress the truth while exchanging the truth for a lie (Romans 1:18-32).  They do this because they do not want to have to gaze upon the face of God, thereby being exposed, and exposing our culture, and being held accountable for what they do.

This world has changed to make homosexuality much more tolerated and accepted.  But God has not changed—and certainly neither has His view on sin—and He never will.  The truth is clear, it’s just not accepted by this world, and it will never be until they acknowledge God.  This world in general may deny the truth about homosexuality, but they will not be able to deny the judgment of it.  Fortunately, by the grace and love of God, they who practice homosexuality are forgivable and changeable, just as any other sinner is (1 Cor.6:9-11).  God sent Christ as an atonement for sin for anyone willing to accept Him as Savior and Lord.  The gift of salvation is freely offered; it is up to us to accept it through faith.

God Bless,

Niki (^ͼᴥ^ͽ)

It wasn’t me. Well, it was, but…

But, but, but.  Buts are overused and misused.  It should be ‘and’ rather than ‘but.’  It was me and I’m sorry.  But, no.  It seems that people these days are not responsible for themselves.  No matter what they do or say, it’s someone else’s fault (this actually started about 6,000 years ago! [Gen. 3:12-13]).  That guy killed that girl, but it was because his parents abused him as a child.  I started smoking at 18, but it was because my dad spanked me when I was 16.  She beat that dog, but it was because she had a bad childhood.  Those two kids shot up a whole classroom, but it was because they were teased and bullied. 

WHAT?!  Since when are others responsible for the things that we choose to do ourselves?  Everything we do is a choice we make prior to doing it.  Logical, right?  Then why is avoiding the consequences of our actions (still) so prevalent today?  So maybe you grew up with horrible influences, thinking it was OK to hit people or things, or to take out your anger on the defenseless (or even the inanimate!).  Maybe you were bullied, abused, mistreated, and that is wrong.  BUT, your actions are absolutely not justified by others’ poor or evil choices.  We are all accountable for something.

Children are accountable to parents; workers are accountable to bosses; government officials are accountable tot he public; adults are accountable to the law; and ultimately, we all are accountable to God.

Just about everything you do affects someone other than yourself.  When one of our kids chooses to disobey, they get grounded (much to the chagrin of the offender, because they illegitimately feel their misdeed should go unpunished), and it affects the whole family…we have to plan around the punishment.  It’s not right to everyone else, but that person must face the consequences of the poor choice they made.  Why shouldn’t they?  After all, they knew the rules and chose to break them. 

It’s not just about doing things we shouldn’t do.  It’s also about not doing things that we should do.  What are your responsibilities at home and work, are you living up to them, and why not?  Did you choose to not finish something at work?  Were you supposed to meet someone somewhere and didn’t?  Did you tell someone you would do something and didn’t?  What were your excuses?  I had a guitar lesson last Tuesday at 1:45.  At 2:10 I realized I forgot.  I called my instructor, apologized for forgetting (thankfully, I offered him no excuses, for I had none).  He told me “it happens.”  I said, “Yeah, but it shouldn’t.”  It wasn’t just about ME.  I didn’t just miss my lesson, I totally inconvenienced my instructor by wasting his time.  My phone is now set to remind me.  If you know things you should do and choose not to do them, you are wrong (Jms. 4:17).

Every choice you make has consequences of some kind, whether that choice is a good one, or a bad one.  You no doubt gladly accept the consequences of a good choice—taking credit for them I’m sure.  So why think that you shouldn’t have to accept the consequences of a bad choice and take credit for them as well?  Just take it!  It is much more commendable to acknowledge your failures than it is to try to pawn them off on someone else or lie about them. 

Parents, teach your children responsibility.  Teach them that it is not all about them.  Teach them that they must be held accountable for their attitudes, actions, and words…and then HOLD THEM TO IT!  

Shirking responsibility, even for small things, will not work at judgment, both for the Christian and non-Christian.  You had better believe that every little and big thing you do or say here on this earth in this world will one day be judged by the Creator, Sustainer, Ruler, and Judge (Heb. 9:27; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 2:6-11; Mt. 25:31-35; Rev. 22:12).  Even if you may (think you) get away with things in this life, you will not be permitted to lay blame on someone else at judgment. You are responsible for you, regardless of what others do or say to you or against you.

The greatest choice, with the greatest consequence, that you must make is whether or not to accept Christ as your Savior, to let Him into your life to guide you, to obey and trust Him through faith.  If you are not saved, if you choose to not give your life to Jesus Christ and accept Him as your Savior and Lord, then you will endure the wrath of God for eternity in hell, because of your foolish choice to deny Christ (Rom. 2:5).  And you will be able to blame no one but yourself, for it is an individual responsibility.  It’s the same for absolutely every other choice you make, except here the choice is absolute and the consequence much greater.  What will you choose?

Have a wonderfully blessed day,

Niki (^ͼᴥ^ͽ)

Please Forgive me

As Christians, there are two types of people we can offend: our brothers (fellow Christians) and our adversaries (non-Christians).  Regardless of who they are, in whatever way we have wronged them, we are commanded to take reconciliatory action immediately (see Mt. 5:23-25).  We are to “go” to that person and apologize, request forgiveness, offer a reasonable recompense…we are to do whatever we can to right whatever wrong caused that person to have something against us.  And we are to do it even if we feel that we did or said nothing wrong or if we feel that what we did or said shouldn’t have offended the other person.  We also must go even if we think that everything is “cool” with the offended and therefore is no need for an apology, simply because the other person may be kind to us or act as if nothing happened (they’ve forgiven you).  The fact is, they’ve been wronged and they’re possibly upset, and that is reason enough to be reconciled to them—it’s not about us or our rights, it’s about obeying Jesus.  So we must “go.”  We may not be forgiven by them, but the important thing is that we’ve obeyed a commandment, not a suggestion, of God, and, upon asking Him, are forgiven by Him.
 
Sometimes the hardest thing to do isn’t apologizing, but forgiving.  We are commanded to forgive and obligated to forgive because the Lord has forgiven us (Mt. 6:14-15; Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13).  Yes, it is sometimes very difficult.  Maybe someone has hurt you terribly, whether it be physically or emotionally.  Maybe someone said or did things for the sole purpose of hurting your feelings—called you or your loved ones names, talked badly about you or someone you care about, flirted with your spouse, etc., or maybe someone said or did things that they aren’t even aware of.  Guess what?  You have to forgive them, even if they don’t apologize!  And our forgiveness should be unlimited, as God’s is (Mt. 18:21-22).  That’s a tough one.  But forgiving is absolutely not for the offender, it is for you.  

Others’ offenses against us cannot be worse than our own offenses against God, and God has forgiven us much more than we, in our entire lifetimes, will ever forgive.  So why should we not forgive?  It’s all about having a forgiving spirit, which makes us want to forgive, for forgiving without really wanting to forgive is not forgiving at all.  Not forgiving someone (thereby not having a forgiving spirit) can impede our spiritual growth or render our prayers ineffective.  Jesus stresses this in Matthew 6:12, 14-15 and Mark 11:25.  Asking God for forgiveness but not forgiving others is hypocritical.  Having an unforgiving spirit is a sin.  Therefore, choosing not to forgive someone—holding a grudge, keeping the anger, having a vengeful spirit—gives us an attitude that makes it impossible for God to forgive us (Mt. 6:14-15).  Forgiving others is an evidence of salvation and a regenerate heart.  Just as we can love others because God first loved us, we can forgive because God’s forgiveness makes it possible…that is where we get the forgiving spirit, directly from God.  So ask Him for a forgiving spirit.  Only you can benefit from it.

I pray you have a wonderfully blessed day,
Niki (^ͼᴥ^ͽ)

Armored with Christ

Let’s take a detailed look at Ephesians 6:10-18: The Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints (ESV).

These verses express a call to arms. They are the “external counterpart of [Paul’s] emphasis on the inward growth and edification of the church” that he spoke of in Ephesians 4:12, 16[1]. We’ll explain this passage of Scripture verse by verse.

Verse 10: We get all we need from Christ. Every piece of armor described in the following verses speaks of Christ—we basically put on Christ, for He is truth (Jn. 14:6), righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30), the peace giver (Jn. 14:27), who we put our faith in (Rom. 10:9, 10), salvation (1 Cor. 1:30; Rom. 3:24), and the Word (Jn. 1:1, 14). Without Christ you can do nothing (Jn. 15:5). You cannot rely on Christ’s power if you are not in union with Him. If you are in union with Christ, we are strongest when we are weak, for Christ’s power is perfected in us in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9, 10).

Verse 11: “[W]hole armor” refers to the Roman infantryman, or hoplite. Paul was in prison at the time of this writing, and was probably using a Roman guard as a model for the armor. The Greek word for “stand” is a military term for holding a position. The point is that you can attack only when you are able to hold your own ground. From a Christian’s perspective, it shows that we are to withstand and stand against Satan’s continuous attacks. Christians are not to flee—they will not be protected, for the armor is covering the front only.

Verse 12: Humans are not our enemies; what drives them to do evil is. Satan and his demons wage war on God. Fortunately, God has already won that battle with the death and resurrection of Christ. In spite of this, Satan fights against all things good in a feeble attempt to overcome almighty God. Satan may win some people to himself, but the war will end with Christ’s coming and ultimate banishment of Satan and his followers into the abyss.

Verse 13: Because the enemies are spiritual, we are again admonished to use spiritual armor, God’s panoply (a complete set of armor), which He provides (and wears Himself. See Isa. 11:5; 59:17) that we must take up. Repetition means to pay attention to what is being said (note the number of times “stand” is used in all verses). When Christians “take up” the panoply of God, we are to never put it down; we are to wear it and use it our entire lives until we either die or are taken up to be with Christ—and we will, if we are truly His. “[S]tand firm”-if we take up the armor, then we will not yield even an inch to the evil one.

Verse 14: This and the following verses explain the armor in the order it would be put on. A tight “belt” showed that a soldier was ready for battle. The belt held the tunic up for easier movement, held the breastplate in place, and also held the scabbard. A Christian’s belt is comprised of “truth.” God’s Word and Christ are Truth; truth is light; light dispels darkness. Without truth, you cannot win against the evil of this world. The “breastplate” covered the neck to the thighs and was usually made of bronze. It was also known as a “heart-protector.”[2] Christ is our “righteousness.” Because Christ is in us, we are fully protected from defilement by Satan; Christ is our heart-protector.

Verse 15: Having good “shoes” gives an army a great advantage over the enemy, for they are able to travel faster over even rough terrain. A Roman soldier’s shoes were studded with nails to give them a better grip. Christians’ shoes, being comprised of the “gospel” of Jesus Christ that reconciles sinners to God and gives “peace” and a solid foundation on which to stand, will keep us rooted in place.

Verse 16: “In all circumstances” demonstrates the necessity and extreme importance of the next several pieces of armor, especially the shield. A Roman’s “shield” consisted of two layers of wood glued together and covered with linen and hide, bound with iron,[3] and sometimes soaked in water. This piece of armor was the most effective. Hundreds of “darts,” or arrows, dipped in pitch and ignited could be stopped and quenched with a single shield. In effect, it was like a door, covering the entire soldier’s body giving them a feeling of security. Our shield as Christians is our “faith.” Without faith, you have no salvation; you have no shield/protection from evil—you are Satan’s. But with faith, you win, you will stand, you are secure. Christ is our door (Jn. 10:9). By having faith, you put God in front of you, showing dependence on Him…what better protection could you get?!

Verse 17: The “helmet” was made of bronze with leather attachments. This and the following sword would be handed to the soldier, whereas all previous items would have been picked up. Our helmet is of “salvation,” which is given to us by God. It may refer to our hope of our future salvation (glorification), or it could suggest present salvation (sanctification), working out our salvation (Php. 2:12). A spear is the standard weapon of a hoplite, but because Paul was most likely in prison and using his Roman guards as models, a spear wouldn’t have been need being indoors. Paul uses the word “gladius,” a short, dual-edged “sword.” This is our only offensive weapon. Being “of the Spirit” could mean as supplied by the Spirit or used by the Spirit, or both simultaneously. The “word of God” is the spoken word by God; it is all powerful and effective. Jesus knew the power of God’s word (Mt. 4:1-10) and He will use it when He returns (Rev. 19:15). We must use God’s words to drive away Satan. For the sword to be useful, it must be removed from its scabbard; do not leave the Bible unopened; it is useful only if we know it and apply it.

Verse 18: We must always be “praying.” The wording suggests that prayer itself is not included as a weapon. We should “at all times” be in prayer, no matter the circumstances (1 Thes. 5:17). But because we are never to remove our armor and admonished to never stop praying, I feel that prayer is not only a weapon, but it is one of the best offensive weapons we as Christians have. “[I]n the Spirit” means to pray with the aid of and in the power of the Spirit (Rom. 8:26). We are also to pray with “supplication,” praying for specific needs for the saints. We must pray for all Christians, the Church. Christians should always be in alliance with one another, fighting side-by-side, against their common enemy as a unified army, not against each other. We must always be on the “alert” for Satan and his schemes, and always “persevere” in the fight.

I believe these verses remind us that we must be pure and holy to prevail against evil, using God’s strength rather than our own. If you are a child of God, you are an enemy of the world (Jms. 4:4). We fight spiritual forces and are therefore called to stand against those under the influence of those forces. You must take a stand in this world against the things that are in opposition to God’s word, whether it be homosexuality, abortion, child abuse, animal abuse, etc. Your silence signifies acceptance. Don’t be silent; take up God’s armor and stand.

God Bless, Niki Ƹ>Ï<Ʒ

Flickr Tags: God,armor,spiritual,Christ,rigteousness,faith,salvation.

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[1] Wood, A. Skevington, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981) 85.

[2] Ibid., 87.

[3] Ibid., 88.

“Salvation: There’s More…” Part 3b, Conditions for salvation cont’d

Hi everyone!!  I pray your day is just great so far.  Today we will be discussing the fourth condition for salvation.  It’s a great one, so open your hearts and minds.  All Scripture is taken from the ESV Bible unless indicated.  All italics within Scripture are mine.

4. The Lamb of God – Jesus Christ: None of the first 3 conditions would matter without this one.  John tells us, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 NKJV).  Why is Christ called a Lamb?  On the 10th day of the 7th month, the Israelites celebrated the Day of Atonement in which lambs were sacrificed to atone for the sins of the priests and people.  The Israelites celebrated Passover on the 14th day of the 1st month to commemorate the final plague on Egypt where the Israelites smeared blood on their doorposts so their firstborn sons would be spared.  The animal to be killed for this blood was a lamb.  A perfect lamb.  “…knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things…, 19but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Pet. 1:18-19).  The sacrifices of those Old Testament lambs were foreshadowers or representations of Christ, who was the ultimate and only effective sacrifice.  1 Cor. 5:7 says, “For Christ our Passover [lamb] also has been sacrificed.”

God cannot tolerate sin; the pureness of God’s eyes can’t look on sin with favor; God’s holiness, as we know, requires punishment for human sin.  So out of great love for us, He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to make substitutionary (not a real word :-) atonement for our sin–for believers’ sin.  He was a substitute for US!  Because the wages of sin is death, a ransom price had to be paid to God, and Christ’s blood was that price.  He died so we didn’t have to suffer God’s wrath and die for our own sins.  “He is the propitiation for our sins…” (1 John 2:2).  To propitiate means to mollify or reconcile with somebody or something.  That somebody was God, and Christ was the atoning sacrifice, the propitiation.  A fuller meaning of the original Greek in this verse (1 John 2:2) is this: “He is the one who turns aside God’s wrath, taking away our sins.”  Unless, of course, we reject Him, then we ourselves take on the full wrath of God in hell.  But if we accept Him into our hearts as our Savior, then God’s wrath is directed to Jesus instead of us, He saves us.  “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).  This passage sums up Jesus’ purpose––the cross––to bring salvation or eternal life, and the kingdom of God.  Through the cross, Jesus made it possible for the entire human race to be brought back to a right relationship with God, the intended relationship.  In John 17:19 Jesus prays for us, “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth” (NASB).  Jesus set Himself apart to do God’s will, which was to die on the cross–to not only save us, but also to consecrate or devote us to God’s service.  “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.  By his wounds you have been healed” (1 Pet. 2:24).  Jesus loves us so much that he went to the Cross and suffered unimaginable pain so that you and I didn’t have to, He took our place.  There is nothing that we need more today in this world than to “behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”  We sometimes forget that Jesus died for our sin, that he suffered unutterable agony and anguish for us.  We need to behold, to focus our attention on, to love, adore and obediently serve Him who took the place of each and every Christian on the cross.

Although necessary, Christ’s death isn’t the only basis for our faith.  It’s His resurrection that sealed the deal.  He was crucified and indeed dead, buried, and in three days rose again. Luke 24:5-6 says, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?  6He is not here; he has risen!” (NIV).  That empty tomb tells us at least four things: 1) Jesus really is the Son of God; He really was a man, but He also is God…God the Son came to earth as a babe, giving up, not His deity, but His glory; He was the God-man and everything He had said and done prior to His death now made sense.  2) It tells us that Christ’s death on the cross really did make atonement for our sins.  We can know that the death of Jesus Christ took care of the sin that separates our souls from God because of His resurrection.  Christ’s holy blood was the only blood that could bridge that gap between God and man and forgive sins.  Yes, many people were crucified, but only one rose again…He fulfilled what was prophesied in Scripture.  3) It tells us that we are promised a victory over death and the grave.  Jesus tells us in John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”  By His resurrection, we are assured the reality of immorality; eternal life is real, whether or not you believe.  4) It tells me that I serve a living Lord.  That should give a new intensity to our worship, for we come together, not in memory of a dead Christ, but in fellowship with a living Lord!

For salvation, it is necessary to know and believe that Jesus is the only way.  The man who is God who suffered and died for us is the only one who can give us salvation and provide us a relationship with God.  Jesus said, “…I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).  Luke writes in Acts 4:12, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”  Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation and to God; He represents God to humans and humans to God; He bridged that gap between God and humans by offering Himself.

I thank my heavenly Father so much for His giving of His Son.  Thank you Lord Jesus for your sacrifice for me in obedience to your Father.  I pray you all have a wonderfully blessed day. 

I have a couple prayer requests for you all: 1) A good friend’s son committed suicide Wednesday morning.  My friend’s name is Joe, please pray for him.  2) My mom’s friend, Dan, quite possibly has kidney cancer…that’s on top of the already diagnosed leukemia.  3) My husband’s dad, Harry, had surgery July 1st and still has much pain.  Thank you all for your prayers.

Niki Ƹ>Ï<Ʒ

Flickr Tags: God,salvation,Jesus,sacrifice,redemption,lamb,cross

“Salvation: There’s More…” Part 2b

Hi everyone! I hope your day is going well so far. 

*All Scripture is taken from the ESV Bible unless otherwise noted.  All italics within Scripture are mine.

Today we will be going over reasons 3-5 of 7 for wanting salvation.

B. Why would you want Salvation?:

3). It is a gift, it’s absolutely free if only we accept it: Acts 5:31—“God exalted Him to His own right hand as Prince and Savior that He might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.”  In Acts 11:17, Peter says "God gave [the Gentiles] the same gift as he gave [the Jews].”  God gave the gift.  Going again to Romans 6:23 –“For the wages of sin is death,” like we mentioned before, but the rest of the verse states, “but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.”  This verse portrays two types of servitude, or slavery, in which the person doesn't have the freedom to determine his own course of action: The first type earns you death, that’s your wage; the other is not earned and cannot be earned, it is a gift, it’s free for us, although it cost God everything.  The first type earns you an eternal life in hell, in the presence of God’s wrath; the other is a gift of eternity in heaven, in the presence of God.

4). The Bible tells us to: Jesus tells us in Matthew 4:17b, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near,” and in Mark 1:15b, “…the kingdom of God is near.  Repent and believe the good news!”  Peter tells us in Acts 3:19, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.…”  I’m so glad that my heart is right to allow me to desire to do what God’s word says.

5). For Truth: One thing that I hate is lying (yes, I can hate it…God does).  I’m so sick of dealing with a world of lies or possibility of lies, or even a promise of no lies!  Not only from those in my house, but those all over the world, everywhere and anywhere, in any position, including the president.  I want the truth—the absolute truth and I realize I will never get it from man.  It can only be found with God. 

So what is truth?  Even Pontius Pilate wondered that, and the answer was right in front of him! (Luke 18:38).  Jesus is the truth: “…I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).  God’s word is the truth. Jesus is praying for his disciples in John 17:17, and he says to his Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” God’s word can be found in written form in the Bible, and it is reliable, for “all Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Tim. 3:16a NIV).  God had an active involvement in the writing of Scripture. What Scripture says is what God said; but humans weren’t just recorders, they also actively spoke and wrote in their own styles, but what they said came from God. 

In John 8:31b-32, Jesus said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” The truth sets us free from the curse of sin—the punishment that we will surely receive if we never accept Christ—spiritual death, eternity in hell.  Those who haven’t accepted Christ as their Savior cannot really know truth, they simply reject it. Only Christians can understand and gratefully accept truth, for we are brought forth by the word of truth” (James 1:18a).

Next time we will be going over reason 6 for wanting salvation.  Reason 7 is pretty long, so that will be by itself.  Have a wonderfully blessed day, given to us by the Lord our Savior!

Niki Ƹ>Ï<Ʒ

Flickr Tags: God,salvation,truth

"Salvation: There's More to it Than You Think" Part 2a

*All Scripture is taken from the ESV Bible unless otherwise noted.  All italics are mine.

This next section of our study, “Why would you want salvation,” is much longer, and will therefore be divided into subsections.  It is comprised of 7 subsections, and today we will cover 2 of those.  So let’s begin!

B. Why would you want Salvation?:

1). To have a relationship with God: We are separated from God by our sinful nature. Isaiah 59:2 says, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” Well, what does that mean? God created us in his image, in his likeness—let us not think this means we resemble or look like God physically, but rather that he created us having the capability to know him, to respond to him, and to have immediate fellowship with him—we were made to walk with God! Adam did. Unlike any other one of God’s creatures, we were made with a rational, moral, and spiritual nature in order to walk and talk with God and come to resemble him. What a life! Genesis 1 tells me that humans had it all.

But Genesis 3 tells a different story. Because of the selfishness and “disobedience of one man, all were made sinners” (Rom. 6:19). God is holy, everything he does, his laws, his decrees, everything. Do you think God, being holy, could spend eternity with anyone who isn’t the same? Absolutely not. God is loving, but he’s also just. He hates sin, and his holiness requires a punishment for it. Sin makes us enemies of God.

The Bible tells us that “…in Adam, all die,” for “sin entered the world through one man, Adam, and death entered through sin, and in this way, death came to all men, because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12). Physical death is a punishment for sin, as is spiritual death, or the second death, which is ultimate, eternal separation from God. “For if you live by the sinful nature, you will die” (Rom. 8:13), referring to spiritual death. “For the wages of sin is death…” (Rom. 6:23), again, spiritual death. “Wages” implies an earning—the second death is earned, as a paycheck is earned in a job. That’s one wage I don’t want.

2). God wants us to: 1 Timothy 2:3-4 says, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. 2 Peter 3:9 states, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” While humans stew impatiently for the destruction of the heavens and earth and the judgment of destruction of ungodly people (v7), God, who stands above time (time is purely relative with God) waits patiently so that many can be saved—He’s a long-suffering God. 1 John 4:9,14 says “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. …And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world” (NKJV). Note the last four words: “Savior of the world”— he died for all, that we might live, meaning we won’t die the second death.  Instead, we will spend eternity with God!  Although not all will, for not all will accept his sacrifice.  I thank God I did.

Next time we will go over 2 more reasons you would want salvation!  This is some good stuff, I love it, and I hope you do too.  Have a blessed day!

Niki Ƹ>Ï<Ʒ

Technorati Tags: God,salvation

"Salvation: There's More to it Than You Think" Part 1

*All Scripture is from the ESV Bible unless otherwise noted.  This is not an exhaustive study on salvation.*

For Christians, followers of Christ who have given their hearts and lives to him, salvation is considered to be an elementary teaching according to Hebrews, and that it is milk for infants (6:1-2).

So why is it a topic? 1) Sometimes it is important, if not necessary to go back to the basics of our faith, to remind us. After all, is it not the reason we do what we do and live how we live? 2) We Christians are to be witnesses to Christ. Although it is the convicting work of the Holy Spirit that draws a person to salvation, we must be prepared to answer questions that come our way.  How are we to do that if we can’t tell them, or answer questions about, salvation adequately? 3) There is a lot involved in salvation, and knowing what’s involved and what it means to have it will help us be, or guide us in becoming, better disciples of Christ.

A. What is Salvation?:

a). It is a process (now don’t go acting all crazy on me, I’ll explain how it is indeed a process later in the series). It’s a process where God redeems us. “Redeem” means “to free from the consequences of sin.” So, salvation is…

b). It is deliverance from the power and effects of sin. We are saved from God’s wrath, for his holiness requires a punishment for sin.

c). It is available to everyone: Titus 2:11-“For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation for all people” (italics mine).

d). It is eternal: Hebrews 5:9-“And being made perfect, [Jesus] became the source of eternal salvation…” (italics mine).

e). It is past, present, & future-->Justification, Sanctification, Glorification. This will be discussed thoroughly later.

End Part 1_________________________________________________

Salvation is really so much more than what was just stated.  Salvation is a wonderful gift from God, given because of his love for us.  The only way we could ever have salvation is through the death and resurrection of his precious son, Jesus Christ, and only if we accept it and commit our lives to Christ.  

Next time, we will be looking at the reasons we would want salvation.  If you have any comments or questions, feel free to post them.  I pray you have a wonderfully bless day.

Niki Ƹ>Ï<Ʒ

Technorati Tags: Salvation,redemption

My Testimony

A little about me while I’m typing up the Salvation post.  I must say that I don’t have one of those heart wrenching, soul jerking, incredibly emotional testimonies, but it’s mine.

I was raised in church.  My grandpa was the pastor of the Wesleyan Church in Bradford, PA where I lived, so I grew up in it.  We attended church every Sunday morning and Wednesday evening.  You can say, and bear with me for there will be an explanation later, that I “was saved” several times in my life.  Having grown up in church, I knew about Jesus, and I knew that people were supposed to accept him and “be saved.”  All of these times that I “was saved” (I know it seems excessive with the quotations, but it’s necessary), I would continue on with my life as though nothing happened.  Well, that is because nothing did!

Finally, while in the Army, in a little Baptist church in Hinesville, Georgia, I realized that I was not living as I should be.  I realized, for the first time, who Jesus really was, and I accepted him into my life as Savior.  As soon as I did that, the Holy Spirit, who is sovereign, entered my heart and made me new, and I was saved. That is when the change occurred.  It was at that moment that I no longer wanted to do the things I had been doing (no, they weren’t exceptionally “bad,” but they were indeed sinful and displeasing to God—swearing, drinking, smoking, etc.).  I didn’t feel like these were things I had to stop doing, it was that I had a desire to stop doing them because I knew that they were sinful in God’s eyes.  So, I quit.  Yeah, the smoking took a little longer, but, with God’s help, it happened.  Although the swearing stopped immediately, I sometimes slipped up, usually when I was angry…but even that diminished.  I had an insane desire to learn God’s word, so I read the Bible every morning and night, not being able to get enough of it (still can’t.  I wish I could remember ALL of it, but of course that’s impossible).

God is so good.  Even when I mess up, which seems to be often, if I ask, he forgives.  He continues to work in my life, blessing me and my family, leading us to wonderful people and experiences (although some I don’t really care for!!).  He does not expect anything from me that he won’t provide a way for.  Praise be to God.

God created the heavens and the earth...

Hi everyone! Welcome to my blog. In my blog I will be discussing anything and everything, from ice cream to my incredible God.

I will soon be starting a series of blogs entitled "Salvation: There's More To It Than You Think." Aaah, you may be thinking something like, "What?! I heard salvation was easy" or "I didn't think you had to do anything for it" or other thoughts along those lines...well, don't worry, you're right. So stick around (OK, just keep returning instead) to see what I mean.

I am human. I am not a theologian. I study the Bible and will do everything I can, including pray and research, to ensure that I write nothing that is counter to God's precious, holy Word that was written down for us. If I write anything that seems questionable to you, ask me about it, please. I do not want to write something that may lead anyone in the wrong direction or lead them to question the truth. Also, if you just plain don't understand something, let me know; I will make every effort to explain it better. If I don't know it, I will research it and get others' views and opinions.

Your comments are much appreciated. Feel free to write about what you'd like, but any vulgar posts (including language and topic) are unwanted and will be deleted.

I don't consider myself to be a prayer warrior, but I certainly do speak to my heavenly Father and He listens. So if you have any pray requests, list them, I will most certainly pray about them.

I pray you have a most wonderfully blessed day.

Niki Ƹ>Ï<Ʒ