Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else?
- Romans 8:32 (NLT)
Also wanted to share the Amplified version:
He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all,
will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?
- Romans 8:32 (AMP)
Glory to God! He gave up His Son so that if we accept Him, we have our ticket to
Heaven. Not only that, but He has given us so much more & believe me: the benefit of going to Heaven rather than Hell is beyond miraculously amazing in itself. But HE HAS GIVEN US SO MUCH MORE!
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*** A little off the overall subject but the most important piece of this blog. Bear with me for a few paragraphs & I will get back to the main topic.. but please don't skip over this. IT COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE. ***
Note: You may think you are a good person and God would never send you to Hell. However, all of us would be going to Hell if it wasn't for the beautiful, finished work of Christ on the cross, because no one who has ever walked this earth or ever will has been without sin, except for Christ. I am going to share this to demonstrate:
I love the way it was put in one of the movies in the Left Behind series. This clearly demonstrates that no matter how "good" of a person you are, you are still required to have a relationship with Christ to get into Heaven. While hearing a message preached on salvation, one man walked out of the church. The character Kirk Cameron played followed behind him, trying to reason with him. He was desperate for this man to be saved. When he talked with him, the man said something along the lines of, "I'm a good person. I've never killed anybody or anything. How could God send me to hell?" Kirk Cameron explained that our standards of being "good" are different than God's standards (The 10 Commandments & other things God asks of us in His Word). So Cameron asks, "Well, have you ever told a lie?".. the man reluctantly says, "Yes, who hasn't?". Cameron continues, "Then you are a liar. How many murders do you have to commit to be a murderer? Just one. If you have told even one lie, that makes you a liar. The Bible warns that all liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 21:8). You may not think deceitfulness is a serious sin, but God does." (Note: God has the final say on whether or not you get into the Kingdom of Heaven, so we have to go by His standard's if we don't want to spend eternity in hell, because you don't get to live any way you want and then call the shots of where you go when you die - only if you repent & turn from your sin can you enter the Kingdom of Heaven.) In the movie, he goes on to ask the man if he has ever looked at a woman lustfully, because God is so holy that even if someone looks at another person with lust, he/she has already committed adultery in his/her heart. He asks one more question (I can't recall). Anyway, the point is, he used this to show him that he had already broken 3 of God's commands, at minimum. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Without Christ, we would have little to no hope of going to Heaven. But BECAUSE OF HIM, we can rest assured that as long as we walk in Him (in obedience to His Word) & with Him personally (Seek Him with all of our hearts).. we can go to glory with our Savior and be eternally rewarded for living for God.
THINK OF IT THIS WAY: Many say it's too hard to change, that they would have no friends if they changed, people would judge them because they "knew them when..". It doesn't matter what others think, although I know it's hard when you lose friends (been there, done that!). But what is worse? Live for Jesus & go to Heaven or live like the world & spend eternity in permanent turmoil with most of the world. You decide. For me, the decision is easy when you consider eternity. And you don't get to choose when you leave this life. You never know when it might be. God alone knows. How you live your life here determines where you spend eternity, which lasts infinitely longer than anyone lives in this live.
We ALL need to be forgiven by God. He is willing to forgive all your sins, when you come sincerely to Him & willing to turn from your sinful ways. Then, He will save you. When we get truly saved, we are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Some people will use the lies of Satan to tell you that you cannot be saved because you've done this or that or the other. But when you give your life to Christ & truly change your ways, your spirit is re-born.. which means you become a completely different person on the inside. The change will be evident and a testimony to all who know you. Whether they acknowledge it or not, they will see through your example that anyone can be saved and if you can be saved, they can too (God offers the gift of salvation to ALL PEOPLE - see Titus 2:11).
To further demonstrate what it means to be "a new creation in Christ", I'd like to share this story with you. I shared it in my previous post, but it is very profound & worth sharing again, in case you missed it. At one of our revivals at my home church, Evangelist Dr. Peter Dobie shared this story. He lived in South Africa for a long time. While ministering there, he witnessed this. The tribal people take Scripture very literally, and I believe we would do well to follow their example. This is about a man named Joe. A group of a Joe's friends (well, his ex-friends, I guess) was mocking him for getting saved by reminding him of all the things he used to do. He said, "Are you talking to the old Joe or the new Joe?" May we grasp this literal revelation of how God has changed us and restored us so completely. So when I am ashamed at things I refused to give over to God in the past, I have to remember, that was the old Rachel. This is the new Rachel who is completely sold out to God. I am a changed person. And you can be, too..
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In addition to the gift of eternal life, we have His peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:6-7), His healing for any possible way we might need it: whether physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual (Matt. 8:17, Isaiah 53:5, Deut. 7:15, 1 Peter 2:24, Heb. 13:8, Malachi 3:6), His Love Unending, His compassion: The Holy Spirit feels our every emotion & struggle right along with us. We also have His mercies that begin afresh every morning (Lamentations 3:23), the Safety of Abiding in the Presence of the Almighty (Psalm 91).
The blood of Jesus has covered our every sin, shortcoming, sickness, disease. His blood paid for the sight of the blind, to make the lame walk, deaf hear, mute speak. He haspurchased everything we will ever need on the cross & with the resurrection. He provides all of our needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19). He redeemed us from the curse of the law (Gal. 3:13). He freed us from the awful & terrible bondage of sin, so we are no longer bound by sin & therefore do not have to pay the eternal consequence of sin. We are able to show our love and affection for Him by keeping His commands (1 John 5:3): not some but all, though His grace covers us when we do make a mistake. He delivers us from all our fears. When we have laid down our own lives & evil desires at the cross, forsaking everything by dying to ourselves to be alive in Him. Ohhhh.. only then can we have all the wondrous things He has planned for us. You may think you have to go out there & find yourself.. but when you live your own life & continue on in your sin.. all you will find is the devil's work displayed in your life because you chose to allow it. As the saying goes, "Satan will take you farther than you want to go & keep you longer than you want to stay".. Don't let him keep you in sin & lead you into eternal torment forever. Discover the freedom there is at the cross. Sadly, so many think they are free by doing what they want.. but they are deceived by Satan into doing what he wants them to do. And there are consequences on the earth at the least for that, but eternally if you do not turn from those ways.
Merry Christmas to all of you! Remember to do something to give back, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus & all that He gave to us.
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In His Mercies that are New EVERY Morning,
Rachel Marie
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