God is Ready to Pardon

 Neh 9:17b
.. but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsook them not.

The children of Israel historically wavered in their faith. Any time things started to get bad, they would turn from trusting God and relying on the gods of the world around them. We find over and over again that God would deal harshly with their sin, but would always make a way to turn back to Him. Nehemiah recalls the days they were set free from Egyptian slavery, and it was not long after they were complaining about the prospects of dying. Because of their unbelief, they were made to wander in the wilderness for 40 years, the consequence of their disobedience. But God did not cast them away, He would not forsake them. We serve a God who is merciful and full of grace. If any man wavers, or falls into sin, we can go to Christ, who is our advocate to the Father, and be forgiven. Like the story of the prodigal son, God’s arms are wide open, ready to pardon. He is a God of second chances, and extends His mercy to any who will turn to Him with a sincere heart of repentance. God does not tolerate sin and will not abide by it. Through the blood of Christ, He has provided a way of escape. We don’t have to succumb to the temptation of Satan and fall into sin. Our faith does not have to waver in times of temptation. He will not forsake us in our time of need. We can overcome temptation with the help of the Holy Spirit and the power of God. But it is possible that one could fall from fellowship and communion with God, but one does not have to despair, for God is slow to anger, and of great kindness, and will not forsake His own. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

Not Ashamed

 2 Tim 1:12
Nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Paul, knowing that his time on earth would be coming to an end, admonished believers to hold fast to their faith. Stand up and not be ashamed of what they believe to be God’s truth and salvation to man. Times have changed, but the message is still the same. Jesus came to save sinners. All of humanity is lost in sin, born with the Sin nature, in need of forgiveness. I had a friend who believed that men are basically good and just needed to be trained and surrounded by a good environment. This thinking is contrary to the teaching of the Bible. Paul writes in the book of Romans that ALL are born sinners and must come to God for salvation. This is the message given to us by Jesus. We need not be ashamed, for the answer is found in Christ. Accepting Jesus as our savior means that we have confessed our sins, turned away in repentance. He is then faithful to save us from being lost for eternity. This truth is sealed in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. As we commit our hearts to Christ, take up our cross and follow Him, He has promised to keep us by His grace and to hold steadfast the commitment we made the day we gave our heart to Him.

Receiving the Gift Through Confession

 1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Along with John 3:16, this scripture is used to stress what it means to believe in Jesus Christ. God gave His Son to die and paid the price for our sins, so that we would not die and go to eternal damnation. The message of the Gospel is one of good news, and the good news is that we don’t have to perish. But the good news does come with conditions. Believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and to confess our sinfulness to Him, and accept His forgiveness. It is not God's desire that anyone would die in their sins and go to hell. The message to believers is to go out and tell others of this great gift. This is the greatest gift given to man. We celebrate at this time of the year Christmas to tell the world that God gave the most important gift to mankind when He gave His son to be the supreme sacrifice for the sins of the world. Many will go through this season with the knowledge that Jesus came to this world, and lived among us, and celebrate this great event in history, but many have yet to come to the foot of the cross and confess their sins and to be cleansed from all unrighteousness. This is the reason for the season: Jesus, who was not only born into this world, but also gave his life as the greatest gift man has ever received. We received this gift by confessing our sins. He is faithful to forgive. 

Let Us Draw Near to God

 

Heb. 10:22

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

It is not possible to draw near to God when sin is in the heart. There is a gap that separates us from having fellowship with God. As sinners, we live in darkness and God is light. There is no fellowship for those who live in darkness with the light. To have fellowship is to have communion, and a person who dwells in darkness is living a life of sin, and sin is enmity against God. It is not subject to God and is not able to draw near to Him. But Jesus bridged the gap, taking our sins and nailing them to the cross with His blood provided a way for us to draw near. Before we can draw near to God, we must confess our sins. If we humble ourselves before God, He is faithful to take our sins and cast them in the sea of forgiveness, not to be remembered against us anymore. God will hear the prayers of a sinner that repents of their sins and has a heart that is broken, and is sorry for their sinful ways. It is only with a clean heart and pure motives that we can begin to draw near to God. It is God’s will that we live in the light. As we walk in His light, we start to draw near to His desires for our lives. Let us put aside the sin that easily besets us and pray with a pure heart to live in the light of God’s presence.

Confessing Sin

 James 5:16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Many Bible translations use the word sin in place of fault. The root interpretation of sin is to miss the mark, to come short of God’s perfection. The fall of Adam and Eve changed the nature of humanity. The human body is now subject to failure and shortcomings. We often say, “We are not perfect, we are all still human.” We still deal with human weaknesses. As humans, we still make mistakes and errors from doing everything perfectly, but our hearts can always be faultless before God. Scripture says that Christians cannot sin, (1 John 3:9). Yet, it is possible for a believer to still commit sin. But, if we want to remain in Christ, we will not live a life of sinning.  Satan knows our weaknesses and vulnerabilities and will exploit them, causing us to fall. Temptation to sin would not be temptation if it were not possible to transgress the laws of God. Giving our heart in full surrender in sanctification, letting the Holy Spirit take residence in our heart will give us the ability to resist the temptations of Satan. Confession is made possible by restoring one back to fellowship with God. “And if any man sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” (1 John 2:1). If we also confess our sins one to another, the prayer of other believers God will hear and heal broken fellowship. It is not God’s will that Christians fall when tempted. He has made a way of escape. It is not His will that Christians live in sin, but His will that they be delivered from sin. Thank God, He has provided grace and mercy to them that seek and ask forgiveness. We need not despair, get up, face your fault or sin, confess, and move forward with God.

Eternal Life and Punishment

 Mat 25:46
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Matthew chapter 25 is filled with compare and contrast illustrations. We had ten virgins, five had oil in their lamps ready for the return of the bride, and five did not. Then there's the parable of the talents. There were those who invested wisely and those who did not. The destiny of their eternal soul was determined by how they invested what was given to them by their master. The parables illustrate that it is not enough to say you believe in God, but action speaks louder than words. The final story that Jesus tells does not say it is a parable, but a prophecy. The King will return to earth some day and final judgment will be given, and the destiny of the souls of people will be handed out. There will be those whose hearts are filled with love for God and others, and those who say they love God, but they live to please themselves, and turn a blind eye to those who are hurting and helpless. Many would like to use this passage of scripture to support the idea that good works and being a good person is all that is needed to have eternal life. But Jesus is speaking to his followers. There is more to eternal life than saying, “Lord, Lord.” Faith in Jesus is essential, but faith without works is dead. The debate of eternal salvation after a person confesses Christ comes into question with the words of Christ in Matthew chapter 25. There will be those who will not make it into heaven, and it will not just be those who live wicked lives. It will be a harsh reality to see that a person who experiences the forgiveness of sin will stand before God and find that they are on the left side of the judgment seat because they failed to live for Christ. It goes without saying that God and God alone is the final judge. It is our responsibility to be a true follower of Christ and do unto others as Christ has done for us. May we be found on the right side of the seat with the sheep, and hear the words of the King. "Enter into life everlasting."

Name Written in Heaven

 Luke 10:20
Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

There is no doubt that God has the power to cast out demons from people who Satan has imprisoned and bound for years. He came to set the captive free, and empowered His followers to cast out demons in His Name. The ability to heal, or cast out demons is not done by our own power or any intrinsic value we possess. We see throughout the Bible the Apostles doing great things in Jesus' name. Jesus made it clear that doing such a task does not give you any assurance that you will have eternal life. Many will come to Him on that day and say “... Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name have done many wonderful works? (Mat 7:22). He will say to them, “depart from me you worker of iniquity, I know you not.” Their names were not written in heaven, their names could not be found in the book of Life. How does one get their names written in heaven (the book of life)? Those who put their faith in the Lamb of God who was slayed on the cross for the forgiveness of sin are written into the book of life. Jesus, the Lamb who was slayed from the foundation of the world, provided a way of escape from the lake of fire. Confess and believe He died for you, let Him into your heart. Let Him be Lord of your life. Rejoice that your name is written in heaven, and rejoice when a sinner who is lost in sin finds Jesus, and their name is also written in heaven.

Winning Souls

 Proverb 11:30
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

The soul of man is trapped and is held by Satan. From the fall of Adam and Eve, the soul of man has been made captive to sin and darkness. A child, as innocent as it may be, was born with the nature of sin in his heart. The battle to “win” back God’s creation has been fought from the beginning of time. It is the desire of God that souls be brought back into fellowship with Him. Winning souls is to convert others from their sinful ways and win them over to Christ. To win is to teach and persuade others of the claims of Christ in their heart.  Teaching them that the source of life is found in the tree of life. Righteousness and right living is to confess our sins, trust in the blood of Christ to cleanse our heart from sin, and live righteously before Him. As Christians, we are to be ambassadors for Christ, doing what we can to convert others to follow Christ. Our first responsibility to win others to Christ is to live a life that reflects the image of Christ. Our words and teaching are discarded when our lives are not consistent with the teaching. It is through the teaching of the word in harmony with our lives that others can be won to Christ. It is possible to win others to Christ without walking them through the "Roman road to salvation." Our life should be a living Bible, seen and read by all men, but there is power in the spoken word. “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Roman 10:10. Let our fruit be that of righteousness and our lives win others to Christ.

Whosoever Shall Be Saved

 Roman 10:13
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

What do we need to be saved from? Why do we need to be excused? We, creatures of humanity, born of Adam, inheriting the Adamic nature from the fall of Adam and Eve are a fallen race. Sin abides in our heart and the wages of sin is death. But, Jesus came to save us from death. He took upon Him the sins of the world, died on the cross and paid the debt that we owed. Everyone who will believe, and accept this work of Christ will be saved. Believing and accepting implies that we know that we are sinners and recognize that Jesus alone can forgive our sinful way. We confess with our mouth our depravity, and believe in our heart that Jesus took upon Himself our sins, we can be saved. The core of equity is made clear in scripture. “Whosoever” means every human being born on earth has access to this salvation. God is no respecter of person, regardless of the color of your skin, the identity of your birth, the culture of your land, or the genealogy line you come from, we all have the opportunity to be saved. God so loved the world, that He gave Son that we may be saved. We confess, We believe! We are saved.

Plenteous in Mercy

 Psalm 103:8,9
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.  He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
Because God is a holy God, His anger toward sin and rebellion is evident throughout scripture. Humanity was born in sin and with a nature that is in enmity against God. Every child born into this world has inherited this nature. At some point in a person’s life, God holds us accountable for our sinfulness. The simple Gospel message is that Jesus came to earth, died, and rose again to provide a remedy for this sinful nature. It is God’s love and mercy for us that it is now possible to turn away the anger of the Lord. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us or our sins.” It is not our fault that Adam and Eve yielded to temptation and cursed the human race, but we are given the choice to believe in Jesus for the remission of sin and be made reconciled back to God. This free gift from God shows that He will not reprove us or scold us. His mercy is plenteous to those who call out to Him for forgiveness. He will not turn away a repented heart who cries out for mercy. He is loving and gracious.

Every Knee Shall Bow

 Philippians 2:10,11
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;;; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

He is exalted above every name. There will come a day when every knee will bow to Jesus. There is a coming day when every nation, every religion, every atheist will confess that He is the Lord and the true God and Savior of this world. It is not arrogance and self-righteousness that Christians hold this truth to be self-evident. It is the absolute and undeniable truth that Jesus is King of kings, and Lord of lords. He will return to earth some day to receive His church, all that is washed and covered in His blood. He will set up His Kingdom and there will be no end to His reign.

Who Shall Be Saved

 Romans 10:13
 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Salvation is not automatic. Christ dying on the cross for the world does not save the world, but it provides a way for the world to be saved. The world is lost in darkness and sin remains lost and without hope, unless it calls upon the Name of the Lord. The Gospel is no respecter of people. Salvation is not restricted to a selected few or some elect hand-picked by God. All people from all lands, all cultures, all languages have access to this great salvation. It is truly for whoever will. We are not born Christians, or even raised Christians, we become Christians when we call on His Name, confess with our lips that we are sinners, and make Him Lord of our life. 

Believing Without Confessing

John 12:42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:

Believing without confessing. Such were many of the religious rulers in Jesus’s day. They could not deny the power of God. Pride blinded their eyes in taking the next step to confess His Name and follow Him. They took upon themselves all the rituals of a religion, having a form of godliness, but denying the true power of God. Why? Because they feared what others may think. They feared for their reputation and standing in the religious order of their sect. Many today, believe that Jesus is the Son of God. They go to church, follow many of the teachings of Jesus (The Word of God), but stop short of confessing that Jesus is Lord of their lives and proclaiming that He is the only way to the Father. They desire the approval of man, more than the approval of God. They still live in darkness, and their eyes have yet to be open to see the kingdom of God. Most of us who live in America, don’t face physical persecution for our faith, but we face the pressure of being reticule, rejected, and mocked for confessing that Jesus is the only name under heaven to obtain eternal life. Believing is good, but not good enough. “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.”

Come Now To God

Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Yes, no one is perfect. Every man is tempted when he is drawn away from his own desires. Satan walks around seeking whom he may devour. Everyone is subject to temptation and even good people in a moment of weakness can succumb to temptation. And if we sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, who is faithful and just to forgive all who come to him in humility and confession. Such is the love and promise of God who is full of grace and mercy. We also have a way of escape when tempted if we avail ourselves to the grace of God. Allowing the Holy Spirit to help us make choices that will lead us in the light. The grace and mercy of God extend even to those who have left the path and now walk in darkness. To the hypocrite, who outwardly appears to be religious, but is full of dead men’s bones. God says “Come now”. No matter your condition, no matter what you have done, He wants to make your heart as white as snow.

The Look of Jesus

Luke 22:54 61a, 62 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter… And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

That look! Look of tenderness, love, and yes, sorrow. A look that caused Peter to weep for his betrayal. He who said he would go to the ends of the earth, dropped the ball when it really counted. But that look was also a look of forgiveness. The Lord who knows our frame and our weakness, our failures and shortcomings does not cast us away. He knows the way we have taken and wants us to get back up. If we have sinned, confess to Him our failure. If we have erred in judgment, He see our humanity. Jesus looks and has compassion on us. Let us weep with joy that He cares, and wants us to come unto Him.

All Things Created

Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

His name is Jesus. Before the world was created Jesus, one with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, created the heavens and the earth. All things were made by Him and for Him. He made man in His likeness. Man was made to have fellowship with Jesus, given a free will to choose to love and worship the Creator. Sin has warped the nature of man and put within man a desire to please the self-nature of the human heart. Jesus came to earth to redeem man from this nature, but man must make a choice to deny self and believe in the redemption power of Christ. Satans, the enemy of God, does everything he can to keep man from believing. the struggle to believe is real because sin reigns within the heart of man. The choice is still ours. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved…Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.”  We were made to live in Christ, but we must choose to do so.

Bow The Knee

Phil 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

Many see Christianity as an arrogant religion. Those who claim the Name of Christ proclaim that Jesus is the only way to have have eternal life, in other words, get to heaven. Such teaching flies in the face of those that think that there are many ways to have eternal life after death. That the path to heaven is made possible by having faith in what you believe, and to follow its teachings. Jesus, says, “I am the way, the truth, and life, and no mans comes to the Father except through me.” This declaration of Christ has portrayed the followers of Christ as bigots. Not willing to accept or tolerant the belief that obtaining eternal can be achieve by other means other than through Christ. It is the foundation truth of Christianity that Jesus is God, who came in the flesh and dwelt among us. He being fully God and fully man died for the sins of humanity that we might have access to the Father. I stand not in judgement of others who claim otherwise, but to believe in Jesus, is to believe that what He is is truth. Ultimately, every religion will bow the knee and acknowledge that He is Lord, and the only way to have eternal life. 

Name of Jesus

Matt. 1:21 “ And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.”-

In the Name of Jesus, is often said when a prayer is concluded. There is something about that Name that is above every other name. There is no other Name under heaven, on earth given among men that has the power to forgive sin. This is not just any one name Jesus, for there are many born on earth who have that name. But this Name has power to heal the sick, make the lepers clean, and cause the blind to see. He is the son of the living God, He is God made flesh who came to dwell among us. How sweet in His Name, the song in our heart sings about that lovely Name. At the Name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. In His Name we can claim eternal life, and it is in His Name that allows us passage through the gates of heaven. Oh, how I love that Name!

The Greatest Blessing

Psalm 32:1 “ Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.”- 

The greatest blessing and grace that a man can have is to know that their sins have been forgiven and they are covered by the blood of Jesus. The complete work of salvation was completed when Christ came to die on the cross to make the final provision for man’s forgiveness. Guilt is part of man’s nature that God’s uses it to alert man that they have done wrong. Not all guilt is from God, but action and behavior that is contrary to God’s law causes man to take notice of their sinful condition. The load of guilt can prick at the conscience and make life unbearable. To be free of guilt is a blessed state of mind and brings peace to the heart of all who will confess it to God. As Christian, we also can experience guilt even though we have not willfully sinned. In the human, our actions and behavior may not be sinful, but they may not always be constructive. It is sometime after the fact that we realize that we wrongful judged, or spoke harshly. The Holy Spirit is faithful to use our conscience and cause us to experience guilt. It’s mistakes like this that His grace is sufficient and greater to cover. Confessing our fault to one another and to God will bring the smile of God and His blessing.