Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Our Life His Life, His Reason to Save You

Our Life His Life, His Reason to Save You 

I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day. 1 CORINTHIANS 15:3–4 

Duncan McNeil, the Scottish evangelist, once said that in school he had a seminary professor who insisted on opening his theology classes with a question. No one could ever anticipate what the question would be. One day he said to his students, “Gentlemen, can someone give me a definition of the gospel?” A student rose and read John 3:16: “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The professor said, “That is a good gospel text, but it is not a definition of the gospel.” Another student read 1 Timothy 1:15: “How true it is, and how I long that everyone should know it, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—and I was the greatest of them all.” Again the professor declined to accept it; he waited for what he wanted. Finally, a student stood and read 1 Corinthians 15:3–5, much to the professor’s delight. It was evident that he had the reply he desired; he said, “Gentlemen, that is the gospel. Believe it, live it, preach it, and die for it if necessary.”

The excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord . . . PHILIPPIANS 3:8 

How can we get to know the holy God? If He is so pure, so infinite, so high, and so lifted up, how can we approach Him, and how can we grow more intimately acquainted with Him? First, we must come to Him by simple faith in Jesus Christ. Second, we must study our Bible and learn all we can about Him. Third, we must turn our knowledge about Him into knowledge of Him. How can we do that? In his book Knowing God, J. I. Packer gave the formula. “The rule for doing this,” wrote Packer, “is demanding but simple. It is that we turn each truth that we learn about God into a matter of meditation before God, leading to prayer and praise to God.” Packer defined meditation as “the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the works and ways and purposes and promises of God.” It is this activity of holy thought, this practice and pattern of letting our minds dwell on Him, that helps us become more deeply and intimately acquainted with the Holy One, who is our life.  - Both from Dr. David Jeremiah Morning and Evening 

In that passage is the definition of the Gospel, the "Good News" to be told to a dying world. 
"I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day." 1 CORINTHIANS 15:3–4 

In the second devotional we see what such a person, who confesses their sin, and receives Salvation, is to do with their lives. It is not about money, wealth of any kind, of accolades, of success or any thing this earthly life can sway us to make important. 

In our lives, given to Christ Jesus, we live for the one who gave His all for us. We learn more about the one who would do such a thing as step in the way of that death sentence decreed against us. We live for what is and was important to Him.

Jesus Christ Himself is returning, and it's not going to be anything like that first time He was here.

Jesus issued the command to tell the world the Gospel message we read in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4.  His return in the beginning will be to provide glorified bodies to all who have already died in Christ Jesus since Adam and Eve. Second is to claim all who are alive and remain who have done the same.  They too will receive a glorified body. These are perfect bodies, free of defects and the curse of sin. 

Once these who believe are removed from the Earth, Judgment comes. The Bible refers to it as Daniel's 70th Week. It's spelled out in the book of Revelation.  

My Dear Reader, as you can see, the Gospel message isn't complicated. God did all the work. It is only upon us to believe, receive, and live to obey. 

At the other end of those 7 years of Judgment will be a thousand year reign of Jesus Christ Himself on this Earth.  People will have lived hundreds of years in full prosperity and peace.  Yet at the end of those years, when Satan is released once more, most all of mankind will side with him against Jesus. Jesus will just speak and the battle will be over. Then comes the Final Judgment of all mankind who would not accept the Gospel to themselves. 

Every single possible excuse will have been heard for refusing to believe. 
Every single person who has ever lived who has rejected Christ Jesus as their Savior will indeed receive a glorified body. Then they will be cast from the presence of God into the lake of fire. 

You have the chance in the here and now to listen, to turn your life around, repent as it were, and receive the free gift of Salvation. It's not found in any other way, no other religion in this world that has ever existed will save you from that Final Judgment. 

Your life is that precious to God that two are fighting over it.
Because Jesus wants to save it, Satan wants to destroy it. Satan wants the praise, honor and glory that belongs only to God. 

Jesus is the only way to be saved. "I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day." 1 CORINTHIANS 15:3–4 

He willingly died to save you, no matter how vulgar, disturbing, disgusting, revolting, humiliating, vile your sins, the things you have done in this life may have been or are.

Yes, it's hard to believe, but it's true. Paul, in his time before receiving Salvation, was trying to kill those who believed. The guy on the cross with Jesus was a thief. 

As long as you have the breath of life in you, there's hope to be saved by faith in Christ Jesus. 

Romans 10:9-10 NASB "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."

That's all there is to it. 

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