| |
Do you know Jesus?
Posted on 04/25/09
By Daniel Alexander
Jesus did not come here to start a new ''''religion''''. Christianity is not about mindlessly adhering to a bunch of "rules"; it''''s about Christ living inside of us. (Colossians 1:26-27). Christianity is not about religion or rituals. It''''s about a relationship with a person who has known you the most and love you so much that He decided to die for you. Religion is about trying to earn God''''s favor, where in reality, with our own strength we cannot ''''earn'''' His love. God''''s standard of perfection is so high, that we can only dream of getting close to that standard. At the same time, God does not accept anything less than perfection. So if we cannot attain that perfection, how do we come into right-standing with God?
When mankind lost the right standing with God, the fellowship they had with God was severed. Sin became the obstacle that stood between God and mankind. Because of our sin nature, we were eternally destined for the lake of fire. But here is the GOOD NEWS - spending the eternity in the lake of fire is not God''''s will for us. He sent His Son JESUS to suffer and die on the cross for you. And He rose again on the third day. We broke God''''s law, but Jesus paid for our fine. That means He can legally dismiss our case. He can commute our death sentence if we believe and receive Him to our heart. People don’t go to hell because of their sins. Jesus wiped away the sins of the whole world with His precious Blood. They will go to hell because they reject the payment for their sins. They will go to hell because they refuse to receive Jesus Christ. If we don''''t receive Jesus as our Savior, we are rejecting the only payment available for our sins. There’s no other way to the Father except through His Son. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6).
Jesus bore an undeserved punishment to give us an undeserved gift, which is eternal redemption. Jesus came here to save you and me through Him. "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. (John 3:16). Now all that we have to do is welcome Jesus to our heart. This is called Salvation.
Salvation is the gift made available to anyone who repents, believes and confesses that Jesus is Lord and that He died and rose from the dead to save mankind. The fact that a person is born in a Christian family will not make him/her automatically saved. To be saved we have to believe with our heart that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for our sins and was raised from the dead. Romans 10:9 says, "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."
Salvation cannot be earned by one''''s strict religious regimen, good living, giving, prayer or fasting; but by GRACE. Grace is defined as an unmerited, undeserved, unearned gift of God. We do not have to (and we cannot!) perform or try to impress God with our works to be in right standing with Him. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "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." Gifts are not earned. Jesus already paid the price for us on the cross. All we have to do is receive the gift.
The goal of salvation is not just forgiveness of sins so that we can evade hell. Yes indeed, not ending up in hell is a very important result of it. Jesus accomplished that by paying the debt for all our sins - past, present and even the ones we haven''''t committed yet. But salvation is much more than getting our sins forgiven so that we can go to heaven instead of hell. The primary goal of salvation is to have eternal life with God.
Eternal Life to most people is a religious cliché, that is, ‘to live forever in heaven’. However, eternal life begins the moment you are born again. John 3:36 says, "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." Note that the statement is in present tense. Eternal life is not something that begins when we get to heaven. There are a number of scriptures that speak of everlasting life as something we possess in this life (John 5:24, 6:47).
In John 17:3 we find a clear definition: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
Eternal life is to know God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ! ‘Knowing’ simply does not mean ‘know about’. We may say I know about so and so person. This is much more than just a casual, intellectual knowledge about a person. Here Jesus is talking about an intimate relationship, now in this life!
New Creation
The moment you make Jesus Christ as your Lord, you become a new creation in Christ (2 Cori 5:17).
You are accepted to the God''''s family. Galatians 3:26-29 says, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ''''s, then are ye Abraham''''s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Word of God
Once we are a new creation in Christ, we will need to let our minds know of this new creation reality. We do that by meditating on the Word of God (the Bible). The Bible is the living Word of God which was written by the inspiration of Holy Spirit. We cannot intellectually dissect the book with our natural minds. We can, but we will miss all the hidden treasures when we approach the Bible that way. It is our source of strength. Just as our physical body is weak without food, our spiritual life will be weak without spiritual food.
If you are new to the Bible, begin with the fourth book of the New Testament, the Gospel of John, which gives you the meaning of who Jesus really is. Then study the books of Acts. The Book of Acts talks about the first believers receiving the promised (John 14:15-17) Holy Spirit (Acts 2) and how churches were established throughout the world. Acts is followed by 21 letters, which were written to churches and individuals to guide them in the early days and they are as relevant to us as they were when they were written. The portions after the Resurrection is very important to a born-again believer since we are no longer under the Law. Jesus Christ fulfilled the law. A person who is in Christ Jesus is already in His good books. All we have to do is allow our inner eyes to be opened to this new reality; to the knowledge of what has already been done, to the knowledge of who we are in Christ Jesus. So, dwell on the portions from the book of Acts onwards. Then of course, start from the beginning of the New Testament, and read all of its 27 books. Eventually, you will want to read the entire Bible from beginning to end.
Growth
Second Corinthians 5:17 says, we become a new creation when we are in Christ Jesus. That does not mean we are going to be more younger. When we get born again, it''''s our spirit that gets completely regenerated. Our soul and body is totally unaware of what happened. We will not ''''feel'''' that we are a brand new creation in Christ Jesus. We will not ''''feel'''' that the One who is inside of us has all the authority over any circumstances. So there is a need to renew (Rom 12:2) our minds with the Word of God.
We can be active church-goers for decades but will not grow spiritually unless we start a personal intimate relationship with Jesus Christ and saturate ourselves with the Word (1 Peter 2:2, 1 John 1:3, John 17:3). This is not about learning 100 Bible verses by heart. This is about having a personal relationship with your Creator.
It is important to be planted in a Holy Spirit-led church, where you will have the chance to be continually exposed to the Word of God, so that your mind is renewed to flow in the good things that God has already planned for you. (Ephesians 2:10)
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is the key that unlocks everything. It is important to be filled with the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-17) and be led (Romans 8:14) by the Holy Spirit each day. The same Power that filled Jesus'''' disciples in the Book of Acts (Acts 2) is on the earth today. All you have to do is ask! (Luke 11:9-13).
One may be very knowledgeable about the Bible, but if the person is not filled with the Holy Spirit, he is akin to a beautifully built rocket with no engine in it. It''''s not the textual information that transforms a person, but the Holy Spirit.
Welcome
Dear reader, Jesus comes to change our lives for the best! You will be changed from within according to His perfect will. He is not looking forward to ''''punish'''' or ''''teach you a lesson''''. Jesus is the epitome of love. He wants you just as you are. No matter how hopeless your life may seem at the moment, the the power of Christ Jesus will turn it around. All you have to do is call on Jesus from within and He will fill you with peace that passes all human understanding.
Does this mean your life is going to be picture-perfect with no problems from this moment on? Jesus said, "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”. There will be trials but we do not have to worry (worrying is unbelief) a bit because greater is He that is in us than He that is of the world (1 John 4:4).
Take that step of faith and welcome Jesus as the Lord of your life. Yield to this mighty grace and watch yourself being changed by the power of Jesus. Let Him come in your life and live through you. No one can do that for you; not even God! God gave you the free will to make that choice.
Prayer of Salvation
If at this point in life, you are ready to make a personal commitment to accept Jesus Christ, all you have to do is reach out to Him now in prayer. If you''''d like to pray and receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, you can pray this prayer:
"Dear God, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. I realize that I am a sinner and no matter how hard I try, I cannot save myself. All my good deeds do not measure up in comparison with your holiness. So God, I come to you on the basis of what Jesus has done for me. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that Jesus died and rose again in my place. I invite you, Lord Jesus, to come into my life. Thank you for paying the price for my sins 2,000 years ago on the cross. I turn from self-reliance. Jesus, I confess that You are Lord of my life. Thank You for living inside of me and guiding me from this moment on. Because of the new life I receive now, I turn away from the old life. Jesus, I belong to You now. Thank You for the gift of salvation. In Jesus'''' Name, Amen."
If you have prayed that prayer from you heart, you have become ''''born again'''' (John 3:3-7, John 1:12-13), in other other words, spiritually re-birthed. The Bible says, you are now the child of the Most High God (John 1:12-13). Old things have passed away, you have become a new creation in Jesus (2 Cori 5:17). You have escaped the eternal lake of fire. Sin, Sicknesses (no matter how small or terminal it is) or negative circumstances (does not matter how trivial or worse it is) can no longer have a hold on you. Through Jesus Christ you are an overcomer.
. Read your Bible (KJV or King James Version - read on why I prefer this version) daily to get to know this Jesus better. Again, christian life is not about religion or rituals. It is a relationship with Jesus Christ (John 17:3). Bible is the food for our spiritual person. I''''d recommend to start reading with the fourth book of the New Testament, the Gospel of John, which gives you the message of who Jesus really is. Then continue reading till the Book of Revelation. Then of course, start from the beginning of the New Testament to read all of its 27 books.
. Talk to God in prayer daily (Matthew 21:22, Philippians 4:6, Mark 11:24, 1 Thessalonians 5:17). When you pray, focus on Jesus. Pray to the Father in Jesus'''' Name.
. Be baptized, worship, fellowship and serve with Christians in a church (Matthew 28:19, Hebrews 10:25) where Jesus Christ is preached and Bible is the final authority (2 Timothy 3:16).
. Share the good news about Jesus Christ (Mark 16:15, 1 Corinthians 9:16, Romans 1:16)
Set your eyes on Jesus at all times, let His words live in you and yield yourselves to the Holy Spirit to be led by Him. This love is real. You will realize the power of it when you willfully start believing. This unmerited, unearned and undeserved Grace of God is so simple, yet so profound. You are going to love it.
|
|
| |
| |
Teaching Articles Archival |
| |
|
- Our role in the new covenant Posted on July 13, 2010 - By Bro.Thomas Chakkalackal
- R-E-C-E-S-S-I-O-N -Posted on June 4, 2010 - By Bro.Thomas Chakkalackal
- Faith Muscles - Posted on April 10, 2010 - By Daniel Alexander
- The Do, Do Christianity - Part 3 Posted on Jan 12, 2010 - By Bro. Daniel Alexander
- Your sins are forgiven - Posted on Nov 22, 2009 - By Bro. Samuel mathew
- The Do-Do Christianity - Posted on Nov 16, 2009 - By Bro. Daniel Alexander
- Abiding in Christ Posted on Nov 7, 2009 - By Bro. Samuel mathew
- Self-Righteousness Or His Righteousness? Posted on May 20, 2009 - By Bro. Daniel Alexander
- Charismatic Bewitching - Posted on May 18, 2009 - By Rev. Peter Youngren
- Paul's World View through the Cross- Posted on May 14, 2009 - By Bro.Thomas Chackalakkal
- Do you know Jesus? - By Bro. Daniel Alexander
- Will a Good God Judge? Posted on 04/25/09 - By Bro. Daniel Alexander
- Are you a Good Person ? Posted on 04/25/09 - By Bro. Daniel Alexander
- 1 John 1:9 and true confession of sins - By Bro.Thomas Chakkalackal
- The Greatest Security of Our Salvation - By unknown
- My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge - By Andrew Womack
- God's Prosperity Inside of You - By Rev. Peter Youngren
- Are we joined with Christ at the time of new birth or at the time of water Baptism? - By Bro.Thomas Chackalakkal
- All Things in Christ, Posted 02/21/09 - By Rev. Peter Youngren
- The Offence of the Cross, Posted 02/21/2009 - By Rev. Theodore Austin Parks. 1888-1971
- Prosperity Begins in Your Heart - By Rev. Peter Youngren
- Grace upon Grace - By Bro.Thomas Chackalakkal
- Himself - By Rev. AB Simpson
- Christ In You - By Rev. Age M Aleskjear
- The Gift is Free and the Gift is Jesus - By Bro.Thomas Chackalakkal
|
Daniel Alexander
http://heknocks.blogspot.com/
|
|
|
|
|