No matter how rich you are in material possessions..
No matter how intelligent you are
No matter how high degree you have accomplished
No matter how popular you are
No matter how beautiful or handsome you are
No matter how many friends you have
No matter how much fun you are having...
Your will still not have the true joys and happiness that your heart longs, because your life is empty,
And only Jesus can fill that emptiness.
These words, spoken nearly four thousands years ago, express the sentiments of millions today. Now, however, there is a way out: Jesus Christ! As He Himself said:
"I am the way, the truth, and the life..." (John 14:6)
On one occasion, Jesus stated His purpose in coming to this earth:
"...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)
This "abundant life" Jesus offers is more than simply life in the "hereafter". Though He does not promise wealth or luxury, He does assure us of:
A loving Father in Heaven, Who cares for His children. As Jesus taught in His "Sermon on the Mount":
"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:31-33)
More than sufficient provision for those who are willing to follow Him as "The Way". As we read on another occasion:
So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundred fold now in this time; houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life." (Mark 10:29-30)
Therefore, it is not surprising to find that the happiest people in the world are those who have most completely committed themselves to following Jesus as "The Way". As the apostle Paul wrote, even though he was under house arrest at the time:
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13)
And when the apostle Peter wrote to Christians undergoing extreme forms of persecution, he could honestly say:
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, (1 Peter 1:6-8)
Jesus is also...
THE WAY TO FORGIVENESS OF SINS
He is the only solution to a very serious problem...the most serious threat to our well-being that we face: Sin! This is because everyone of us is guilty of sin:
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)
And sin is not without its consequences! Often physical, but always spiritual! Unless the problem of sin is resolved, the ultimate consequence is eternity in hell!
But through Jesus Christ, God has made provision for the forgiveness of our sins! Out of love, God offered Jesus as the "propitiation" for our sins:
In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:9-10)Through His blood shed on the cross, Jesus provides forgiveness for our sins:
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. (Ephesians 1:7)After His sacrificial death for us, Jesus explained how those lost in sin could be saved; it involves repentance on our part...
Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luke 24:47-48)It also involves faith and baptism...
"He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." (Mk 16:16)But to be truly happy, we need more than just the forgiveness of sins;
We need to be restored to the close union with God which we lost by our sins.
In this also, God is our answer, for He is...our true friend
No matter how intelligent you are
No matter how high degree you have accomplished
No matter how popular you are
No matter how beautiful or handsome you are
No matter how many friends you have
No matter how much fun you are having...
Your will still not have the true joys and happiness that your heart longs, because your life is empty,
And only Jesus can fill that emptiness.
These words, spoken nearly four thousands years ago, express the sentiments of millions today. Now, however, there is a way out: Jesus Christ! As He Himself said:"I am the way, the truth, and the life..." (John 14:6)
On one occasion, Jesus stated His purpose in coming to this earth:
"...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)
This "abundant life" Jesus offers is more than simply life in the "hereafter". Though He does not promise wealth or luxury, He does assure us of:
A loving Father in Heaven, Who cares for His children. As Jesus taught in His "Sermon on the Mount":
"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:31-33)
More than sufficient provision for those who are willing to follow Him as "The Way". As we read on another occasion:
So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundred fold now in this time; houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life." (Mark 10:29-30)
Therefore, it is not surprising to find that the happiest people in the world are those who have most completely committed themselves to following Jesus as "The Way". As the apostle Paul wrote, even though he was under house arrest at the time:
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13)
And when the apostle Peter wrote to Christians undergoing extreme forms of persecution, he could honestly say:
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, (1 Peter 1:6-8)
Jesus is also...
THE WAY TO FORGIVENESS OF SINS
He is the only solution to a very serious problem...the most serious threat to our well-being that we face: Sin! This is because everyone of us is guilty of sin:
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)
And sin is not without its consequences! Often physical, but always spiritual! Unless the problem of sin is resolved, the ultimate consequence is eternity in hell!
But through Jesus Christ, God has made provision for the forgiveness of our sins! Out of love, God offered Jesus as the "propitiation" for our sins:
In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:9-10)Through His blood shed on the cross, Jesus provides forgiveness for our sins:
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. (Ephesians 1:7)After His sacrificial death for us, Jesus explained how those lost in sin could be saved; it involves repentance on our part...
Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luke 24:47-48)It also involves faith and baptism..."He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." (Mk 16:16)But to be truly happy, we need more than just the forgiveness of sins;
We need to be restored to the close union with God which we lost by our sins.
In this also, God is our answer, for He is...our true friend
No comments:
Post a Comment