Category Archives: Salvation

Guide, Money / Finances / Wealth, Salvation

What Shall I Do To Inherit Eternal Life? (Mark)

“What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” This question is incredibly important, and those who ask it genuinely seeking an answer have already started down the right track. They have acknowledged there is eternal life and not everyone gets there. Some will have eternal suffering instead. Let us review how Jesus answers this question when a rich young man asks Him.

Mark 10:17-31

The Rich Young Ruler

      17As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 18And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 19“You know the commandments, ‘DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.’” 20And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.” 21Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.

      23And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” 24The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26They were even more astonished and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?” 27Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

      28Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You.” 29Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, 30but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. 31“But many who are first will be last, and the last, first.”

The rich young ruler was not far from the kingdom of heaven. He knew the commandments and he knew Jesus was the right person to ask. Clearly he did not fully understand the significance of obeying the commandments, as he felt that he had obeyed them sufficiently well throughout his life. None can truly accomplish this, when we fully consider how to apply this law according to Jesus, Himself (Matthew 5:21-48). However, he was looking in the right places for the answer.

Jesus did not even break stride in the conversation to explain what it means to truly follow the full standard of God’s commandments. He already knew where the man was failing in his devotion to God. For this specific individual, it was love of money. Jesus never called everyone to give away their money, it is not required. He knew this individual had that as his primary remaining barrier to following God. Sadly, the man went away grieving rather than following after Jesus.

Jesus, never wanting to let a teaching opportunity by wasted, spoke further with His disciples on the subject. He pointed out how hard it is for many that have money to choose to serve God instead of money. We can not serve both (Matthew 6:24). However, there is hope. No matter what personal obstacle stands in our way, we have hope with God that we can overcome it and follow Jesus.

27Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

We can also be encouraged that whatever it is that we give up in order to follow Jesus, we will not regret it. We will be rewarded for our devotion and loyalty to God, more than we could imagine.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please show me whatever I may be putting ahead of fully serving You and embracing Your will. Help me not put money or anything else ahead of You. Help me change and focus on You above all else. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Can God Use Me?, Consequences of Sin, Grace / Forgiveness, Psalms, Repenting from Sin, Salvation

The Journey of Repentance and Forgiveness in Christ

All of us should remind ourselves regularly that we are sinners. We have and continue to face and fall to sin at some level even after we are on the right path on a lifelong journey with Jesus Christ.  Jesus reminds His disciples in teaching them to pray that they should ask forgiveness and remember to forgive others daily.

Matthew 6:12

  12‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

We should be careful never to conclude that we no longer sin. Our sin problem will only be fully solved when we go to be with the Lord in heaven when we die or when He returns.

In the meanwhile, we must remain vigilant and humble, asking the Holy Spirit to convict us of wrong doing so we can admit we are wrong, repent and change our behavior and attitude, ask God’s forgiveness in the name of Jesus Christ, and turn toward doing things His way.

What wonderful news that we can never make too big a mistake to be forgiven! David was a man after God’s own heart… not by his own claim, but by God’s.

Acts 13:21-22

 21“Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22“After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.’

Even David sinned, and sinned big from time to time… adultery, murder, and more. But when David was confronted with his sin he would consistently repent and ask God forgiveness and then change his ways. It was not that he stopped making mistakes, but he was humble enough to admit it and take the right action to fall before God humbly and genuinely seeking forgiveness. We can all learn a lot from David in that regard.

Psalm 38

Prayer of a Suffering Penitent.

A Psalm of David, for a memorial.

1O LORD, rebuke me not in Your wrath,
And chasten me not in Your burning anger.

      2For Your arrows have sunk deep into me,
And Your hand has pressed down on me.

      3There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation;
There is no health in my bones because of my sin.

      4For my iniquities are gone over my head;
As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.

      5My wounds grow foul and fester
Because of my folly.

      6I am bent over and greatly bowed down;
I go mourning all day long.

      7For my loins are filled with burning,
And there is no soundness in my flesh.

      8I am benumbed and badly crushed;
I groan because of the agitation of my heart.

      9Lord, all my desire is before You;
And my sighing is not hidden from You.

      10My heart throbs, my strength fails me;
And the light of my eyes, even that has gone from me.

      11My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
And my kinsmen stand afar off.

      12Those who seek my life lay snares for me;
And those who seek to injure me have threatened destruction,
And they devise treachery all day long.

      13But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
And I am like a mute man who does not open his mouth.

      14Yes, I am like a man who does not hear,
And in whose mouth are no arguments.

      15For I hope in You, O LORD;
You will answer, O Lord my God.

      16For I said, “May they not rejoice over me,
Who, when my foot slips, would magnify themselves against me.”

      17For I am ready to fall,
And my sorrow is continually before me.

      18For I confess my iniquity;
I am full of anxiety because of my sin.

      19But my enemies are vigorous and strong,
And many are those who hate me wrongfully.

      20And those who repay evil for good,
They oppose me, because I follow what is good.

      21Do not forsake me, O LORD;
O my God, do not be far from me!

      22Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!

For all of us who are far from perfect… and yes, that is all of us… we can take great comfort in knowing that God is not surprised by that. God does not expect us to be perfect. He expects us to commit our heart to Him fully. When we make mistakes, small or large, we are not to deny or rationalize them but rather admit our sin and accept the consequences. We ask Him for forgiveness and repent, turning away from sin and toward God’s way of doing things. There is no sin to big for God to forgive through Jesus Christ! This is always good news.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Grace / Forgiveness, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Righteous, Salvation

Faith Brings Righteousness

Faith brings righteousness. Many will agree quickly and point to how it is new with the new covenant and death of Christ… that before that people were judged by perfect compliance with the law. Galatians 3 is a passionate passage from Paul on this topic.

As we read, consider a few things.  The Mosaic law was not around when Abraham was deemed faithful by Yahweh. Abraham was deemed righteous by his faith.

Genesis 15:6

6Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Abram did not live a perfect life according to the law which was not yet given. Abram was righteous through faith.

The Mosaic law was provided by God to His people to guide them. They were coming out of slavery in Egypt and being trained and prepared to obey and follow the Lord and prepared to take the promised land. It is good and perfect. Let us not take to lightly throwing it away, but it can not save us. Only faith in Christ can do that.  The law remains a good guide for us and a source of validation on what is right and what is not. It helps us better understand our Lord and Father and how to show love to Him and to others.

Psalm 19:7-8

   7The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

      8The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

Matthew 22:37-40

37And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38“This is the great and foremost commandment. 39“The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

We can also understand from the context of Paul’s other letters that he did not consider the law to be a curse or a bad thing. The context of his passionate commentary on the law and faith in Galatians 3 is based on what appears to be a group of believers sliding away from the truth and into false teaching. The Galatians appear to be struggling in regards to putting their faith in Christ, relying more and more on the law instead. With this in mind, Paul rebukes them firmly. As you read, consider that the curse of the law is not the law itself, properly used, but rather the curse is that those who try to be saved by the law will be held to account to live it out perfectly… which none of us can.

Galatians 3

Faith Brings Righteousness

     1You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?

      6Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 7Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.” 9So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.

      10For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM.” 11Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” 12However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM.” 13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”— 14in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The law is good and can be very helpful as a guide and validation. It can help us learn how to love God and love others. However, put not your faith in the law but in Christ and His death for our sins. Invite the Spirit to dwell inside you and guide you. Where the law shows us the standard and our failure to reach it, it brings no power to help us. The Spirit, however, brings power to help us live in such a way as to glorify our Father. Praise Him for both Savior and Spirit! He made a way for us to be reconciled to Him, forgiven of our sins, and also provided a Helper for us to live in such a way as to glorify Him and honor Him.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Idols / False Gods, Infinite / Without Limit, Protector / Deliverer, Salvation

God Deserves the Top Spot in Your Heart and Mind

Often when reading about idolatry in the Bible, Christians can easily convince themselves to dismiss it as no longer relevant since it is not commonplace anymore to literally have false idols representing gods and worship them.  However, I challenge you to think of it slightly differently. An idol can also be a job, a house, money, a hobby, or even a person. An idol is anything you put in that central place in your heart that takes the place or priority of God. God should be first in your heart. That should be reflected not just in empty words, but in our time, energy, and money in how we live. It should be reflected in how we speak and how we treat people. If there is anything that you are putting at the top of your priority list and focus, you need to ask God to help you put Him above it!

Isaiah 46

Babylon’s Idols and the True God

1Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over;
Their images are consigned to the beasts and the cattle.
The things that you carry are burdensome,
A load for the weary beast.

      2They stooped over, they have bowed down together;
They could not rescue the burden,
But have themselves gone into captivity.

      3“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
And all the remnant of the house of Israel,
You who have been borne by Me from birth
And have been carried from the womb;

      4Even to your old age I will be the same,
And even to your graying years I will bear you!
I have done it, and I will carry you;
And I will bear you and I will deliver you.

      5“To whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal and compare Me,
That we would be alike?

      6“Those who lavish gold from the purse
And weigh silver on the scale
Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
They bow down, indeed they worship it.

      7“They lift it upon the shoulder and carry it;
They set it in its place and it stands there.
It does not move from its place.
Though one may cry to it, it cannot answer;
It cannot deliver him from his distress.

      8“Remember this, and be assured;
Recall it to mind, you transgressors.

      9“Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,

      10Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;

      11Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man of My purpose from a far country.
Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, surely I will do it.

      12“Listen to Me, you stubborn-minded,
Who are far from righteousness.

      13“I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off;
And My salvation will not delay.
And I will grant salvation in Zion,
And My glory for Israel.

Spend a few minutes with God. Ask Him to show you any idols in your life and then ask Him to help you address them quickly and boldly. God and God alone brings salvation and righteousness.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross

All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faithful, Idols / False Gods, Loving / Kind, Obeying God, Prophecy, Prophecy, Purposeful / Intentional, Repenting from Sin, Salvation, Submitted / Servant, Through Prophets, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Do Not Fear, for I Have Redeemed You

Isaiah 43 contains several important themes that still resonate with us today if we take the time to listen and consider them.

  • Verses 1-7: God’s favor and goodwill are for His people. This should be a great comfort and encouragement. There is no need to fear.
  • Verses 8-13: God calls out those who believe in false gods or idols. He and He alone is God and savior.
  • Verses 14-21: The deliverance from Babylon is foretold, but there is a reference to greater events. The redemption of sinners by Christ, the conversion of the Gentiles, and the recall of the Jews, are described. All that is to be done to rescue sinners, and to bring the believer to glory, is little, compared with that wondrous work of love, the redemption of man.
  • Verses 22-28: God is troubled that His people turn away from Him and His offer of forgiveness of sins. They choose to overlook Him and go their own way. He pleads with the people that they would be justified through Him.

For more detailed thoughts expanding on these, consider Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary for Isaiah 43.

Isaiah 43

Israel Redeemed

1But now, this is what the LORD says, He who is your Creator, Jacob,

And He who formed you, Israel:

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name; you are Mine!

2“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.

When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,

Nor will the flame burn you.

3“For I am the LORD your God,

The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

I have given Egypt as your ransom,

Cush and Seba in exchange for you.

4“Since you are precious in My sight,

Since you are honored and I love you,

I will give other people in your place and other nations in exchange for your life.

5“Do not fear, for I am with you;

I will bring your offspring from the east,

And gather you from the west.

6“I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’

And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’

Bring My sons from afar

And My daughters from the ends of the earth,

7Everyone who is called by My name,

And whom I have created for My glory,

Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”

Israel Is God’s Witness

8Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,

And those who are deaf, even though they have ears.

9All the nations have gathered together

So that the peoples may be assembled.

Who among them can declare this

And proclaim to us the former things?

Let them present their witnesses so that they may be justified,

Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”

10“You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD,

“And My servant whom I have chosen,

So that you may know and believe Me

And understand that I am He.

Before Me there was no God formed,

And there will be none after Me.

11“I, only I, am the LORD,

And there is no savior besides Me.

12“It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed,

And there was no strange god among you;

So you are My witnesses,” declares the LORD,

“And I am God.

13“Even from eternity I am He,

And there is no one who can rescue from My hand;

I act, and who can reverse it?”

Babylon to Be Destroyed

14This is what the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says:

“For your sake I have sent to Babylon,

And will bring them all down as fugitives,

Even the Chaldeans, into the ships over which they rejoice.

15“I am the LORD, your Holy One,

The Creator of Israel, your King.” 16This is what the LORD says,

He who makes a way through the sea

And a path through the mighty waters,

17Who brings out the chariot and the horse,

The army and the mighty man

(They will lie down together and not rise again;

They have been extinguished, and have gone out like a wick):

18“Do not call to mind the former things,

Or consider things of the past.

19“Behold, I am going to do something new,

Now it will spring up;

Will you not be aware of it?

I will even make a roadway in the wilderness,

Rivers in the desert.

20“The animals of the field will glorify Me,

The jackals and the ostriches,

Because I have given waters in the wilderness

And rivers in the desert,

To give drink to My chosen people.

21“The people whom I formed for Myself

Will declare My praise.

The Shortcomings of Israel

22“Yet you have not called on Me, Jacob;

But you have become weary of Me, Israel.

23“You have not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings,

Nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices.

I have not burdened you with offerings,

Nor wearied you with incense.

24“You have not bought Me sweet cane with money,

Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices;

Rather, you have burdened Me with your sins,

You have wearied Me with your wrongdoings.

25“I, I alone, am the one who wipes out your wrongdoings for My own sake,

And I will not remember your sins.

26“Meet Me in court, let’s argue our case together;

State your cause, so that you may be proved right.

27“Your first forefather sinned,

And your spokesmen have rebelled against Me.

28“So I will profane the officials of the sanctuary,

And I will turn Jacob over to destruction and Israel to abuse. 

Do not overlook God’s favor toward us as believers and followers of Yeshua, our Messiah. Let us put our faith in God and God alone. There are no other gods, no one else in whom we should put our trust. We are called to redemption and justification through Yeshua. Let us not reject such a wonderful offer!

Take some time in prayer to reflect on this powerful message. What is God telling you today about what you need to do in your life? Are you putting your trust in Him and Him alone? Are you fearful when you can instead find His peace? Are you putting your focus on living according to His ways rather than your own?

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Persecution / Glorifying God, Protector / Deliverer, Salvation, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Strong in Our Weakness, Wickedness / Evil

Keep God’s Commandments AND Hold to the Testimony of Christ

Revelation 12 lays out some key fundamentals in the spiritual warfare between Satan and YHWH’s people in some attention-grabbing visualizations. Notice you will find no labels of “Jewish” or “Christian”. These labels are not always meaningful as many call themselves by these names but do not follow YHWH or do not hold to the testimony of Yeshua. In verse 17 we see that the key is not what label someone claims, but if you actually “keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus”.

It seems obvious that the Jewish people do not hold to the testimony of Yeshua. However, it may only be slightly less obvious that most who identify as “Christian”, holding to the testimony of Christ, do not keep the whole of the commandments of YHWH. Common Christian teaching holds to some commandments and dismisses many others. It is not simply about “the 10 commandments”. There is so much more to be learned and followed in studying the foundational books of the Bible, the Torah (written by Moses), and the writings of the prophets. For many, they do well to genuinely focus on starting to really live out the 10 commandments in their lives. This is a good place to begin.

I encourage Jewish people to seek Messiah in Yeshua. I encourage Christians to seek to study the Bible and challenge to deepen our understanding of the Hebrew roots of our faith and the fullness of the wonderful things in the law of YHWH.  (Focused Ministries – Understanding the Hebrew Roots of Christianity)

Revelation 12

The Woman, Israel

     1A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; 2and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.

The Red Dragon, Satan

     3Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. 4And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.

The Male Child, Christ

     5And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. 6Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

The Angel, Michael

     7And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, 8and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. 9And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,
“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. 11“And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. 12“For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”

      13And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. 14But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. 16But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. 17So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help open my eyes to both the testimony of Yeshua and obedience to all Your commandments. Help me fully embrace You and Your ways and not only do so in part as so many do. I want to do more than just claim Your name and go to church. I want to live my life for You. I know I fall short, but please help me. Amen.  

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

Am I too late?, Parables, Salvation

There Is Still Time to Accept His Offer!

In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus helps us to understand what the kingdom of heaven is like and what God is like.

20 “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work.

3 “At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. 4 So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. 5 So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o’clock he did the same thing.

6 “At five o’clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’

7 “They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’

“The landowner told them, ‘Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.’

8 “That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. 9 When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage. 10 When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage. 11 When they received their pay, they protested to the owner, 12 ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’

13 “He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? 14 Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. 15 Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’

16 “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”

God is so different from the world that many struggle with this passage. They read it on the surface and agree with the workers who came early in the day. They say it is unfair that all workers get paid the same wages. Many even miss the point that Jesus is telling us about salvation, not people working in a vineyard.

I am glad God is not “fair” in the eyes of the world. “Fair” means I should have eternal separation from God due to my sinful nature. “Fair” means that Jesus should not have died for my sins so that I could be reconciled to God. And I am very thankful that the lost people of this world have as much time as possible … until they die… to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Then we can rejoice together for each person that is saved, even in their final moments.

Take a few minutes to pray. Come humbly before our God. Thank Him for not being fair. Thank Him for His mercy and grace toward us. Now try to show mercy and grace like that toward others in your life who do not deserve it.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Am I on the path?, Faith / Trusting God, Salvation

Faith Without Good Deeds Is Dead

Many Christians are confused about the role of faith or works in salvation. Demonstrating faith by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is sufficient, through His grace.  However, once you truly turn your heart to Jesus you want to live your life in a way that honors Him… and the good works will be evident.

James 2:14-26 challenges us to evaluate good works as evidence of a right relationship with God in our lives and the lives of others.

14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”

19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?

21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.

When we truly accept Jesus as Lord in our hearts, our lives will change in a visible and dramatic way. We will openly declare our faith and good works will be evident.

If you can not see the good works in your own life or you are not openly declaring your faith, then you should challenge yourself to focus on building a closer relationship with Jesus. Consistent study of the Bible and prayer are very important toward this end. If you build a relationship with Him, the rest will come naturally.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Am I on the path?, Salvation, Share the Good News

Salvation through Faith in Yeshua (aka Jesus)

Romans 10 provides valuable insight into salvation.  I encourage everyone to click the link and read the entire chapter.

9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”[e] 12 Jew and Gentile[f] are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[g]

14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”[h]

It sounds almost too easy, but most of the world misses it. If we truly believe in our hearts God raised Jesus from the dead we should be driven to several natural next steps.

  • Change our lives. Turn away from our selfish focus on what is comfortable and acceptable. Be transformed to serve and obey Jesus even when facing those who would mock or persecute us.
  • Openly declare that Jesus is Lord. In this way, we also become the messengers to bring the good news to others!

If we as Christians are quiet and blend in with the world, then we are like a lamp that provides no light… what is the point?

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Father / Yahweh, Grace / Forgiveness, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Salvation

It Is Not You Who Supports the Root, But the Root Supports You

It is too easy to lose perspective and come to think that somehow, we are “helping” Yahweh or doing Him a favor by following Him. Perhaps we don’t think this way directly about God, but only a ministry or church in which we are active. Perhaps we take pride in the money we donate or give to others. Some take pride in being a follower of Christ, looking down at others who have not.

We do well to remember that He delights when we follow Him, but it is not us who support Yahweh, but rather He who supports us. We must be careful not to get conceited and think too much of ourselves as believers. We must remember that we are saved not by our own works or merit, but by the grace of Yahweh alone through our faith.  We too can fall away should we turn away from our faith.

Romans 11

Israel Is Not Cast Away

      1I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3“Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE.” 4But what is the divine response to him? “I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL.” 5In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. 6But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

      7What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened;

8just as it is written,
“GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR,
EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT,
DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY.”

9And David says,
“LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP,
AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM.

      10“LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT,
AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER.”

      11I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. 12Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! 13But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. 15For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.

      17But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. 22Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?

      25For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;

26and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,
“THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION,
HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.”

      27“THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM,
WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.”

28From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, 31so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. 32For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.

      33Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? 35Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? 36For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Behold the kindness and severity of Yahweh. Severity toward those who fell, failing to have faith in Him, but kindness toward those of us who have been grafted into His family through our faith. Let us not be conceited about our relationship with the Father, but rather humbly remember to trust in Him, lest we be grafted out as well for unbelief. We are to depend on Him and trust Him, come what may. We should show mercy to those who have fallen away from faith and seek to call them back to Him. We will never understand fully the ways of our Father, but we are to trust and praise Him all the same. We can praise Yahweh for the depth of His wisdom and knowledge… for His unsearchable judgments and unfathomable ways. Who can be counselor to our Creator?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your mercy and grace toward us. Help us to be thankful and humble in our relationship with You. Help us to see through Your eyes the others around us. Help us to speak with Your wisdom and Your words as we tell others about You. Thank You that You continue to have mercy on others who do not yet know You, so that they may come to know You. Please set up the divine appointments and prepare each of us for them so we may represent You well and share the good news with others in Your name.

We pray this in the name of Yeshua. Amen. 

  Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.