Posts Tagged ‘salvation’

Face to Face with Jesus

Monday, February 11th, 2013

On Saturday, I attended Margaret Bayne’s memorial service at Camp Homewood. Hers was a 96-year life well lived. The tributes paid to her proved it.

For me, a highlight was the singing of the old hymn “Face to Face.” Margaret was a passionate follower of Jesus Christ. She spoke about Him with every opportunity that came her way, encouraging others to acknowledge Him as Savior and to be His disciple. No doubt she could hardly wait to meet Jesus face to face, and now that longing has become reality.

The lyrics of the hymn—one of Margaret’s favorites—moved me to tears. The beauty of heaven no doubt surpasses anything our human imaginations can fathom, but meeting Jesus…words can’t adequately describe what that will be like.

Sometimes life gets so crazy busy that we fail to reflect Jesus, who He is, and what He’s done for us. We forget that He emptied Himself of everything that was rightfully His to take on human form. We forget that He became a man who experienced thirst, hunger, fatigue, grief, and temptation. He suffered scorn, beatings, and death on our behalf because He loved us even though we didn’t deserve it.

And now Jesus sits at the Father’s right hand in heaven, and He prays for us. He’s also preparing a place for us so we can spend eternity with Him.

Jesus is real. He’s not a fairy tale, nor a figment of someone’s imagination. He’s the risen Son of God—alive and well and deserving our love and obedience. He is our breath, our life. He quenches our spiritual thirst and He satisfies our spiritual hunger.

Those who have placed their trust in Jesus alone for salvation will someday spend eternity with Him. Someday He’ll wrap His arms around them, and all the pain experienced while on earth will fade away. Someday they, like Margaret, will see Him face to face. What a moment!

Do you know Jesus? If not, you can do so right now. Acknowledge that you’re a sinner in need of forgiveness. Accept His free gift of salvation, and you will have eternal life. It’s really that simple—“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

I made the decision to follow Jesus when I was eight years old. That was just the beginning of my faith journey. Life has thrown me a few curveballs, but Jesus has been there for me all the way. I can’t imagine living life without Him. And I don’t want you to live without Him either.

Questions or comments? Let me know if I can assist you in any way.

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Five Things God’s Given Us

Friday, September 14th, 2012

God's given us Himself and a myriad of spiritual gifts. Does He owe us anything else?

Ever feel like God owes you something? A nicer house, maybe? A better spouse, stronger health, or a job you actually like?

This age of entitlement makes it easy to feel we deserve more. Lest we fall into that mentality, let’s pause to ponder what God’s already given us. Isaiah 13:2 is a good place to start: “See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The LORD God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.”

From this verse alone, I see five things God has given to those who love Him:

  • salvation (“God has come to save me”)
  • courage (“I will trust in him and not be afraid”)
  • strength (“the LORD God is my strength”)
  • a song (“the LORD God is…my song)
  • victory (“he has given me victory”)

I look at this list and see that God’s covered everything. He’s given us eternal life—it’s hard to top that. He’s given us courage to face whatever comes my way. He’s given strength to do whatever He calls us to do. He gives us a song to sing even in the darkest night. And He gives us victory over temptation, evil, discouragement and whatever else seeks to defeat us.

These five things are all we really need to flourish. Strip away everything else—our creature comforts, our relationships, our securities—and the gifts God’s given us enable us to thrive nonetheless.  Does He owe us anything else? I think not. How about you?

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When Money’s not Enough

Monday, March 7th, 2011

Last night I turned on the TV to catch the late night news. On the screen I saw photos of two men’s faces, side-by-side. The commentator said, “Charlie Sheen and Muammar Gaddifi–what do these men have in common?” The commentator then proceeded to answer her own question. She said both men tend to rant illogically. She also said it appears that mental illness may be an issue.

Here’s a third commonality: Both men are filthy rich. Sheen earns $2.5 million for every episode of “Two and a Half Men” and his net worth is nearly $100 million. Gaddafi’s net worth is approximately $1 billion. That’s more money than most people can fathom. These guys can buy anything they want. Or can they?

Actually, no. Psalm 49:6,7 says, “They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches. Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God.”

Sheen and Gaddafi might have more money than most, but their lives are a mess. They’ve hurt many people around them, and they’re doomed for destruction barring spiritual transformation. How will they find that transformation? Certainly not by buying it. No amount of money will purchase the redemption of their souls. Christ alone can do it for them, but it won’t happen unless they place their trust in Him rather than in their wealth or, in Gaddafi’s case, their military might.

“But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of the grave,” says Psalm 49:15. That’s true for me and for all who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. Money’s not enough to save anyone’s life. It might buy a fancy new car, but it can’t bring inner peace. It might buy a beautiful house, but it can’t buy love to make it a home. It might purchase stylish clothing, but it can’t clothe me in the robe of righteousness. It can buy an expensive casket, but it’ll never purchase eternal salvation for the soul.

Here’s my personal challenge: As I see these guys’ faces in the media, what action do I take on their behalf? Shake my head at their craziness and misplaced trust? Or pray that they’ll understand how God has paid a ransom for their lives and place their trust in Him?

Question: God wants our trust to be in Him alone. Have you placed your trust in anything besides Him for happiness?

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More Than Fire Insurance

Friday, November 26th, 2010

I’ve heard some people label salvation as “fire insurance.” They pray the sinner’s prayer, receive their spiritual ticket into heaven, and think that’s the end of the story. Nothing’s further from the truth.

Placing one’s trust in Jesus for salvation is only the beginning. It’s simply saying yes to accepting God’s free gift of eternal life. But then we need to do something with that gift—something more than setting it on a shelf to retrieve when death comes knocking. We need to explore, experience, and enjoy the gift.

1 Peter 2:2 refers to craving “pure spiritual milk so that we will grow into a full experience of salvation.” According to this verse, salvation is more than just the moment when we embrace forgiveness made possible through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. Salvation is an experience that lasts a lifetime. And we determine how rich that experience will be.

What are some of the factors determining the outcome?

  • Whether or not we read and study God’s Word
  • Whether or not we obey God’s Word
  • Whether or not we spend time fellowshipping with other believers who are passionate about their relationship with Jesus
  • Whether or not we’re regularly sharing God’s love with those who don’t yet know Him

 

Without a doubt, there are more factors than these I’ve listed. The point is, salvation is more than a one-time deal snatching us from the fire. It’s an experience marked by spiritual growth. It’s a journey that leads us into an ever-deepening understanding of God’s character and purposes. It’s full. It’s sweet. And it’s one to be desired and pursued with all our hearts.

Personally, one of the things I appreciate most about my experience of salvation is discovering how God wants to speak to me through Scripture. I love, love, love meeting with Him early each morning to read His words and journal what He says. Granted, it takes discipline, but getting out of bed is no longer a hardship. Now it’s a joy, knowing that He’s waiting to meet with me on the loveseat, in the quiet of my little living room.

By what means are you growing into a full experience of salvation?

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Good News

Monday, July 20th, 2009

I’m reading the book of Romans now. My spirit is refreshed as I read about God’s plan of salvation for all mankind. It’s so clear and simple. I’m simply going to write out several verses today and let God’s Word speak for itself.

If you’re already a believer, then spend some time pondering what God has done for you. What did it cost Him? What price are you willing to pay in return? What are you doing to tell others about this free gift?

If you’re not a believer, then I encourage you to read these verses and ask God to help you understand what they mean. There’s nothing you’ve done that’s too complicated or grave for God to forgive. If you want peace with Him, rest assured He’s made the way for that to happen. Simply do what He says and place your faith in Jesus Christ for salvation rather than relying on good deeds or a religious upbringing.

Now sit back and savor the sweetness in God’s Word….

“We are made right in God’s sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done. For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God’s anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us…So that’s why faith is the key! God’s promise is given to us as a free gift…Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us” (Romans 3:23-26; 4:16; 5:1).

God’s Word speaks for itself. He loves us, He wants relationship with us, He made the way for that to happen. Why would we refuse it?

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