Hope for the Future
One day we will die. But death is not the end. There are two eternal states and each person will be in one: either heaven in the presence of God or hell forever separated from the presence of God in a place of eternal punishment. The Bible is claer about these two states, yet for many people they ignore the clear teaching of the Bible. Eternity is far too long to ignore what the Bible says about this important subject.
Please read this and seek out the Bible to see if these things are so and/or ask us for any clarification about something that is not clear to you!
Before we understand eternal life we need to understand some important things about God ~ Our Creator!
I Our Creator
A. His Plan
(1 Peter 2:9 ESV) But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
God’s plan is to purchase a people that are His own. This means that they belong to Him. They share His love. They are filled with His peace, joy & righteousness.
(Romans 14:17 ESV) For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
This does not mean that the people that belong to God will not face difficulties. But the believer in Christ will have hope in the midst of life’s struggles.
B. His Holiness
(1 Peter 1:15 ESV) but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
The Bible tells us that we are to be holy as God is holy. By saying that God is holy the Bible is talking about God in absolute perfection. This absolute perfection of God is an essential part of who He is!
Because God is our Creator & as God He is holy everyone is accountable to Him. That is why the Bible tells us that God will judge us according to what we have done.
This causes us a serious dilemma! God is holy, but do we measure up to His standard of holiness in order to come into presence?
II OUR DILEMMA
A. Sin
In the most basic sense sin is loving anything more than God! We sin by breaking His commandments. Every person has sinned. The seriousness of our sin is seen in both our nature and our choices!
B. Sinners by Nature
(Romans 5:12-17 ESV) Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned–for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. The Bible states clearly that because of the sin Adam we have been given a sin nature. That means that we are prone to sin. We have inherited it from Adam. But at the same time we must realize that this does not excuse, because as soon as we are able we make the choice to sin ourselves!
The Bible states clearly that because of the sin of Adam we have been given a sin nature. That means that we are prone to sin. We have inherited it from Adam. But at the same time we must realize that this does not excuse us, because as soon as we are able we make the choice to sin ourselves!
C. Sinners by Choice
Every person falls into this category. We have sinned by my own choice as the Bible teaches. You may not be the worst sinner in the world and likely if you are reading this you are not the worst sinner in the world, but you still have sinned.
(Romans 3:23 ESV) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Do You Understand the Dilemma that we are all in?
The dilemma is real simple: Sin will be judged! We have sinned! Therefore we are accountable to God and deserve His just judgment! This Dilemma shows that we have no hope for heaven and eternal life on our own. With this dilemma we have two things that need to be taken care of in order to have eternal life!
III OUR NEED
The first thing that needs to be taken care is that we need to be forgiven.
A. Forgiveness
The love & justice of God demands that sin be paid for. Speaking about Jesus (1 John 2:2 ESV) says “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” The word propitiation goes beyond a simple sacrifice for sins. It is the means by which God’s justice of sin is averted, so that the sins can be removed and forgiven. The need for sins to be propitiated is seen not only in our sins, but also concerning our sins. The fact is that sin arouses the anger and wrath of God. The Bible is crystal clear on how God feels about sin. He hates it! God hates sin and because He is holy and just there must be punishment for sin. We are sinners and we are in need of our sins being removed. But in order for those sins to be removed, there must be the payment for those sins. Christ death not only removes our sins, but in His death God’s wrath toward sin was satisfied. The perfect Lamb of God took the punishment that was due us. At Calvary Christ took the wrath of God that we deserve. Propitiation means that Christ’s death has removed the wrath of God from the believing sinner. He has removed the wrath so that we can be forgiven and in forgiveness our sin is cancelled or removed. But we still have a serious problem: Apart from the grace of God we do not and will not love Him, honor Him or believe in Him.
B. New Birth
The other thing that we are in need of is a new nature. That is why Jesus makes this comment in (John 3:3 ESV) Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Since we have a sin nature and we sin by choice, separating us from God; we are in need of a new nature. A nature that will love, honor and obey God. This new birth is what Jesus was talking about when He said that we must be born again. At the new birth the sinner is given a new nature. Theologically this is called regeneration. Regeneration is a change of heart brought about by the Holy Spirit who gives life to those dead in sin and enables them to understand the Word of God and believe the Gospel. Regeneration is a work of God’s grace; resulting in a life that loves God and pursues holiness (Titus 3:3-8).
So we have this serious dilemma and a tremendous need, what is the answer? What hope is there?
The greatest news of all is that our greatest need in forgiveness and a new birth has been provided for. Jesus provided and purchased forgiveness and a new birth for all those that would believe in Him! His death on the cross was for people like you and me. His death provides the basis for forgiveness and the new birth that is so desperately needed. This is the free gift of eternal life that the Bible talks about in (Romans 6:23 ESV) For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Notice that this passage says that it is a free gift, but also remember that this free gift is not automatic.
Next we will see the answer to our Need.
IV THE ANSWER
(Romans 10:9 & 13 ESV) because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved…For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
From this passage we see that in order to receive the free gift of eternal life that we need to believe in Him and call on His name.
This next passage talks more specifically about what it means to believe in Jesus or be His disciple. It is much more than simply reciting a prayer. Believing in Christ has a life changing implications. In (Matthew 16:24 ESV) Jesus highlights very specifically what it means to believe in Him: Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
There are three things in this passage that highlight what it means to be a disciple of Jesus (believe in Him).
A. Deny Self
Disassociate with yourself. This includes acknowledging your sin. In acknowledging sin we must agree with God about our sin and understand the seriousness of that sin in separating us from our Creator! This leads to a godly conviction.
B. Take Up Your Cross
To take up a cross means that you die- You die to sin and self. In dying to sin and self we turn from sin and turn to Christ. This is repentance. A godly conviction leads us to repentance.
C. Follow Christ
You turn from sin and self and follow Christ. One life changing decision that results in a new life and a life of obedience to Christ as Lord & Savior!
Have you believed in Jesus according to what these verses teach?
V. OUR ASSURANCE
Assurance gives us the hope that we are on the right road, that heaven is our home and that Jesus not only is our Lord & Savior, but He is also our closest friend (john 15:14)! With Jesus as our Lord, Savior and closest friend we know that we have hope in the most difficult of circumstances. Life with Christ does not mean that you are exempt from suffering, but you have the ability to get through it with hope! This assurance comes from two things:
A. True Belief Gives Assurance
(John 6:47 ESV) Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.
(Romans 8:16 ESV) The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
Our assurance comes from our faith in Christ. Our assurance is first rested on His promise to save and keep those that trust in Him (John 10:28, 6:40).
B. Life Change Gives Assurance
(John 8:31 ESV) So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
You will notice that Jesus is speaking to those who have just said that they believe in Him. By their life they would prove the truth of their decision.
By understanding the truth of salvation a person is brought to a place of decision. That decision is to either believe in Christ or to reject Christ! Believing in Him results in eternal life and a change that is evident in this life. A rejection of Christ results in eternal separation from Christ in a place called hell.
What will you do? Will believe in Him or reject Him?
Tags: born again, church in Lethbridge, eternal life, hope for the future, salvation, saved
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December 3, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Nice website, Scott!