Sunday, January 12, 2020

Before Christ, Who You Are

Before Christ, Who You Are...

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26-28 NASB

This is certainly a message for today.  We live in a world where society is trying to rewrite the definitions of who people are. Even as far as from birth.  

We have societies where if you try to change, it's so taboo that if your decision comes to light, a death sentence is decided against you by society.  People die because of a choice. 

What I am referring to isn't about gender identity.  It's about who people are in Christ.  In many places in this world people are killed after they turn to Christ for Salvation. 

Those who go down the road concerning gender identity and reject who God made them as, are in rebellion to His plan and purpose for their lives.  They are certainly living out the same lies that Satan told to Adam and Eve. "Did God really say..."

There are Only Two types of people before Christ.  Read it in depth yourself.  Those who have received Salvation through Jesus and those who have not. 

Those who are both willingly and those being forced through the whole gender issue are those who fall into the category of the unsaved.  Why? Because they have rejected the plan of God for them.  There is still hope for them as long as they are alive to turn back.  In Romans it speaks to this in what's called a 'practiced sin'. A sin or sins that someone intentionally does on purpose, regularly, with no remorse nor thought of repentance. 

Jesus said that God created them male and female.  In Genesis He saw that what was created in His image was good.  I have been through the Bible a dozen times and cannot find one time where Jesus said 'oops!'.

But let's not get away from things.  This society also says one gender is being treated differently than another. One age is different from that age. This color is inferior to that one. That no matter what we will pass laws to force acceptance. 

In Christ, and regardless of the worldview it's ALL viewed as by and from and through Christ from the Creator's perspective, there are only two types of people. 

But what about those in the Bible who will be weeping and gnashing their teeth?  They are in the same group as those who didn't come to Christ for Salvation.  They are the unbelievers of mankind. But what of their choice?  They chose to reject Christ. You forget, dear reader, that you see each second, each moment in time as it happens. Every decision is in real time.  

For Jesus, He sees every moment of your life from before you were born until you stand before Him.  

He knows if futility is in your life towards the things of God.  He knows whom will and won't come to Christ for Salvation.  So why are we going through human history if He already knows?  We are tied to time until time has run its course. He is outside of time.  It was created by Him not for Him.  He can and the Spirit world can step into and out of time.  Mankind cannot. 
In spite of science fiction we cannot travel through time.  We cannot change what has happened.  We can learn from the past, not journey to it. We can make choices now to impact now and the future but that's it.

Which group are you in today?  The believing who are the saved in Christ or the unbelieving who are not?  

Jesus said that in this world we would have tribulations.  We would have troubles after coming to Christ for Salvation.  But not to let that discourage us from coming because He overcame the world. 

The wonderful promise of God is that those who are believers and die is that instantly they are with Him in Heaven.  There are thousands who never made it through last night.  By way of natural causes and intentional, death occurred. 
Those thousands of people came face to face with the choice of the sum of their lives.  They either found themselves in Heaven or found themselves in torment in Hell.  It had absolutely nothing to do with the color of their skin, the class of people they were in. It had nothing to do with anything but whether or not they were in Christ or not. 

Are you in Christ or are you not?  Your Creator's giving you the chance today if you are reading this to decide.  After you die there's no more time. What you think you will lose is of no consequence.  What you think you will have to give up doesn't matter.  

People trying to tread water until help arrives do not really concern themselves with anything beyond getting safe.  Not their I-Phones, not their cars, their homes nor their clothes.  Not the vacation that was ruined not anything.  Nothing is more important to them than surviving.  

But you know what?  If you are still fighting the tug at your heart from Jesus then you are very much not aware of the peril that you are in. You don't realize you are treading water every second of your life. 

Jesus said to share the Good news.  The Good news is He is there to save you. 

You might have heard of the word Grace. 
Grace from Jesus is translated "unmerited favor".  It's not giving you what you do deserve.   All mankind, all the way back to Adam and Eve, deserve to die.  We are all born in sin.  It's in your dna. You cannot remove it through any means other than receiving the free gift of Salvation in Christ.  So what, you didn't say you wanted it. Your life is ok as it is.  My friend, you WILL be faced with the facts. Either in this life or after you die as to whether or not you took Jesus seriously.   He will look upon every single person in the near future.  Everyone who received Salvation will be on one side of Him and recognized as His. Everyone else will be recognized as those who rejected Him. 

Where will you be? Jesus loved you enough to leave everything that was perfect and pure, to come here to make a way to save you.  He just as easily could have left this world to destroy itself.  But He didn't.  If you haven't decided and are alive today.  What's holding you back?  My dear reader, if this is you, you are treading water.  There's nothing for you to hang onto that will save you.  Jesus is there with His hands outstretched.  Begging you to take them. 

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me." Revelation 
3:20

He's knocking at the door of your heart.
Fear not what man may do to you for your decision.  In Christ we are sealed by the Spirit.  We are never going to see Hell. 
If we die we will be with Jesus forevermore.  That's HIS promise. 

His promise is also true for those who reject Him.  He promised those will be paying the wages for all their sins.  In Hell, separated from Him. For all eternity.  No reincarnation. No second chances to get it right. You have but one shot at life.  Get it right with God. 





No comments:

Post a Comment