GROWING IN CHRIST JESUS

[Meekness29]

I started this thread to post encouraging words to lift mans spirit and share the pure Word of God.

Enjoy!

[Meekness29]

Not too much is preached about repentance lately. As Christians, who are saved, we need to repent. Confessing our sins to God. There are many Scriptures that back this up. We need to repent.

You might say; "Well, I am saved by grace. What is the need for repentance?" God calls us to repent. Our relationship with Jesus is not as close as it could be, if we would only repent.

We still struggle with the flesh and want to do things our way but if we are to live according to what the Bible says, we need to repent and let Jesus enable us to live for Him. None of us are perfect and that is why we need Jesus in our lives. He can make the wrong things right, as we allow Him to, in our lives.

When we boast in our own self righteousness and say; "Oh, I am living for the Lord. Oh, I do everything for Him. I, I ,I.......". Catch it? Watch the "I" in everything you say and do.

Oh Christian, don't you realize that it is Christ who enables you to do the things you do for Him? Don't allow pride to rule in your heart! It is Jesus who helps us and keeps us. Christ liveth in me.

1Tim 1:12: And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

Phil 4:7: And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

2Thess 3:3: But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

Jude 1:24: Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

Phil 4:13: I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Eph 3:16: That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

Romans 8:13: For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Romans 6:11: Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Gal 2:20: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Col 1:13: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

We all need to repent for none of us are perfect. We all need Jesus in our lives to help us and enable us to live the Christian life. God forbid that we should ever boast about "not sinning" because then it is pride that has set into our hearts and we better get on our knees before God. We cannot walk this Christian walk alone.

Jesus said in John 15:5 : "...Without me, ye can do nothing."

[Meekness29]

God loves each and every one of us so much. He loves us beyond comprehension. He offers us the most beautiful gift. It is the gift of salvation. He offers us the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, His Only Begotten Son.

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Why does man need Salvation?

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We have all broken God's commandments and for that reason, mankind is lost spiritually. The Bible says that the "wages of sin is death". What is a wage? It is what you earn. We have all sinned and therefore we all have earned death. The Bible says in Ezekiel 18:20, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Man has broken God's commandments. Sin separates man from God. The Lord God is
holy and cannot have sin in His presence. The Bible tells us that even if a person breaks just one commandment, it is like breaking them all. James 2:10 tells us: "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." This means that even if you break one commandment, it is as if
you broke them all for you stand guilty before the Holy God. That is God's Holy standard. None of us have kept every commandment. We have broken God's
Law. We are all sinners. God’s justice requires that sin receive its full penalty.
The suffering and sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus upon the cross satisfied the requirements of God’s justice. Jesus Christ died for our sins. He suffered the penalty of the Law we had broken. Jesus suffered our punishment-- He took our place.

1John 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to
be the Saviour of the world.

God loves us and He desires to have a close relationship with us but sin separates us from God. The Bible tells us that ALL on this earth have sinned and have fallen short of God's glory. When Adam and Eve first sinned in the Garden of Eden,
they brought sin upon all mankind and the close fellowship that they had with God was no longer possible because of their sin.

The Lord instructed man to make unblemished animal sacrifices for their sin. The Bible tells us that "For without the shedding of blood, there is no remission
for sin." The blood of these animals covered man's sins but the blood of animals could not actually take sins away. God had a wonderful plan to restore mankind unto Himself. This plan would take away the sins of the world. God sent His only Begotten Son to become a man and to shed His blood and to die for our sins.
The Lord Jesus never sinned and therefore willingly died for us -- being the perfect and holy sacrifice for our sins. Our sins were laid upon Him as He died for us.

It was prophesied in the Old Testament, hundreds of years before Christ Jesus came, that Messiah would die a terrible death and would save His people from
their sins and be raised from the dead.

In the Book of Isaiah, we read that Messiah would die for our iniquities:

Isaiah 53:5,6 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

The Lord Jesus said:
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that
the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he
hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

There is no other way to Heaven except through the Lord Jesus Christ. We all
have sinned but He, being sinless, paid the price for our sins. He died in our place.
Notice in the above passage of Isaiah 53:6 that the Lord laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all. Hebrews 9:26 says, "he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."

The Lord Jesus was the sinner's substitute on the cross. Because He died for sinners, those who receive Him as their Savior, are NOT indebted to pay the penalty for their sin. The wages of sin is death-- but He died for our sin-- and
paid our penalty. The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Christ Jesus paid it all! He has made the way for fellowship back to God. In order to be saved, one must have complete faith in the Savior. Faith in the Lord Jesus is most necessary for we are justified by faith:

Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

The Lord Jesus said in John 3:3: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Because we are all descendents of Adam and are sinners, we must be born again
of God's Spirit-- a spiritual birth-- in order to be saved. And this new birth is only possible through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Man has been granted a free will by God and because of this, God will not force Himself on anyone. But He wants His creation to come to Him and be saved.. God's plan of salvation is so wonderful but it is only wonderful to those who receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Those who do not believe on Him will not have everlasting life. He told us in John 3:36: He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Because Jesus never sinned, His sacrifice of His own life paid the price for our
sins. That is why He is called the Lamb of God. The prophet, John the Baptist, called Jesus the Lamb of God:

John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold
the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Christ Jesus died on the Preparation of Passover. He took upon Himself all the
sins of the world and He shed His own blood that we might be saved. He died willingly for us:

John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

John 10:17-18 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself.
I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Christ Jesus rose from the dead three days after His crucifixion. By conquering death, all those who receive Him will live forever with Him and death shall have
no power over them. Because of His Resurrection, Christians can walk a
victorious life through the power of the Holy Spirit. The true meaning of life
begins upon this earth when one receives Christ because all sins are forgiven and the fellowship that man had in the Garden with God is restored once again in the life of the Believer. And when the Christian physically dies, they go to live with Christ Jesus forever. God the Father sent His Only Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus, into the world to save the world because God loves us so much.

The Lord Jesus said in John 11:25-26:

I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Salvation is a FREE gift. This means that you cannot earn your way into Heaven. Your good works will not get you to Heaven. Being a good person
cannot get you into Heaven. You can never be good enough to get into Heaven because even one sin will keep you out of Heaven. Jesus already paid the price
for your sins. To say that you can save yourself is an insult to Him who gave His life for you. The Bible says that our righteousness is like filthy rags and there is no way that we can make it into Heaven by our own works. The Bible says that we are saved by grace through faith and NOT of our own works. Salvation is a gift from God.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

You can accept God's wonderful free gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ or you can reject His gift. God created you with a free will to choose. God will not force Himself on anyone. Those who receive Jesus receive the gift of eternal life and their sins are forgiven. Those who reject Him will die physically and spiritually -- lost in their sins and will have to face the wrath of God at the Judgment.

Every person will face the Lord Jesus Christ someday. He will either be
your Savior or He will be your Judge.

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Unbelief in Him is a grievous sin against the Savior and will be punished as
such. As we read before, the Lord Jesus said, "He that believeth not, is condemned already." The Bible says that those who die in their sins, apart
from the Lord Jesus Christ, will go to the Lake of Fire for all eternity:

Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life
was cast into the lake of fire.

But one does not have to go there...

BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

The Bible says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved." What does it mean to believe?

Believe what the Bible says.
Believe that Jesus is God-- The Second Person of the Trinity.
Believe that He became flesh and was born of a virgin.
Believe that He lived a pure and sinless life.

Believe that God the Father loves you and He sent His Only Begotten Son to die for your sins so that you would not have to go to hell. Believe that the wrath of God abides on the sinner but that eternal life is provided through Jesus Christ. Believe that you cannot save yourself by your own good works.

1John 4:9-10 says, In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because
that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

Believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead and that He is seated at the Right Hand of God the Father.

Romans 8:34 ... It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Believe the words that Jesus said in the Bible. He said in John 14:6:
I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but
by me.

Believe that by receiving Him, you too will have eternal life. John 3:15 says:
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

You must BELIEVE that Jesus died for you and acknowledge that your own merits and good works CANNOT save you. You cannot add anything to your salvation. His sacrifice of Himself at the cross is all-sufficient. There is nothing
that you can add.

You must trust Him 100% for He saves completely. You must RECEIVE Christ Jesus as your personal Savior-- believing with all of your heart-- that He paid the price for your sins. Give up your pride and your own efforts to make yourself "a better person" and commit your guilty soul and all of its interests into the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ -- asking Him to save you. From your heart, call upon Him. As a helpless sinner, who cannot save yourself, you must receive the Lord Jesus as your Savior and Lord. He has given you His word that He will save you. Believe that He paid the price for your sins upon the Cross and that He rose again from the dead. Remember there is absolutely nothing that you can do to make yourself righteous. Jesus suffered the penalty of the Law we had broken.

When you receive Christ, you receive His forgiveness and you receive eternal life
in Him for He is the ONLY Savior. The price of salvation was already PAID in
full but you can only be saved by receiving the Savior. He is the Only way to Heaven.

Romans 10:9-11 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

God says in Jeremiah 29:13: And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

For more information please visit: Which Sin is the Greatest Sin?

If you have received the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior today, we would love to rejoice with you. Please email us. If you have any questions concerning salvation, we are here to answer your questions according to what the Bible says.

[Determinedtolose]

Amen, to that Meekness!

This generation needs to hear this more than ever, especially what is going on in the world today. Just as our Lord and the OT Prophets prophesied, they're will be "wars and rumors of war", "earthquakes in divers places", "lawlessness will abound" and "the love of many will grow cold".

We need the Lord more than ever, this is the day, this is the hour for us to reach out to Him as our Savior!!

God Bless You and I'm glad you posted this Thread!
Diana

[arzu926]

Meekness, that is so beautiful and so well written. Reading it really touched my soul. God Bless you!!!