It’s appointed for man to die once, and then the judgement.
Hebrews 9:27-28 It is in the plan that all men die once. After that, they will stand before God and be judged. It is the same with Christ. He gave Himself once to take away the sins of many. When He comes the second time, He will not need to give Himself again for sin. He will save all those who are waiting for Him.
We don’t know why God allows some people to survive a serious accident, while others die in mirror accidents. Could it be that God has a special purpose for some to survive? Either way, we only die once, and then we stand before God to give an account of what we did with the life that God gave us.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 The last word, after all has been heard, is: Honor God and obey His Laws. This is all that every person must do. For God will judge every act, even everything which is hidden, both good and evil.
We will all have to give an account to God for what we did with our lives, and He is using His Law as the standard.
You might be thinking, “No one obeys God’s Law, everyone sins". This is true, and God knows it.
Romans 3:23-24 All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
God is offering the sinner redemption, and eternal life, through His Son.
Redeem: to prevent somebody or something from dying, being harmed or destroyed or losing something.
God knows everyone struggles with sin, that’s why He sent His Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save it.
John 3:16-17 God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Psalm 32:1 Happy are those whose sins are forgiven, whose wrongs are pardoned.
If we are honest with ourselves, and really consider, and weigh all the evidence of creation, and the reality of there being a God who created it, it will help us to seek after Him, to know Him.
Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Psalm 97:6 The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory.
It’s when we simply turn to Him, to know Him, that He is able to make Himself real to us.
Acts 17:26-27 From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.
Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
Revelation 3:20 Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.
It’s because of what His Son did for the world that we are able to be called God’s friend.
Romans 5:10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.
Before Christ died for the sins of the whole world, it was like we had an arrest warrant for failure to pay fines. Every time we would see that cop car coming down the road, we would run and hide. This is what the sinner is like without Christ.
Proverbs 28:1 Sinners run away even when no one is chasing them. But those who do what is right are as bold as lions.
God made receiving His Son so easy that it almost sounds silly, but that’s the only way He can save us from our sins. Look at it this way, you have that warrant because of something you did. You don’t have the money to pay the fine, so if you get arrested, you’re going to jail. What Christ did is, He paid the fine for you.
Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.
When we turn to God, and receive what His Son did for us, He not only forgives us of all our past sin, but He also puts us on a different path in life. He actually welcomes us into His Kingdom as a new person.
2 Corinthians 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
Our new life in Christ will begin to show in how we think, what we do, and how we live. We will begin to notice that our old way of living no longer makes us happy. We will begin to have a hunger and a thirst for the things of God, that’s how we know God is working in our life. He’s changing us from the inside out so that sin is no longer appealing to us. It’s a strange thing to start enjoying the holy things of God, but that’s what being saved is all about.
Matthew 5:6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.
Today, can be the first day of our new journey that we all must take. We start our journey by understanding that our sins have separated us from God, and as destroyed a lot of relationships in our life, but through a simple act of faith, in what God’s only begotten Son did for us, we can receive the free gift of forgiveness and be born again of God's Spirit. This starts our whole new life in Christ.
Ephesians 2:1-5 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!
Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Salvation is a journey of staying spiritually alive by not allowing our times of weakness to overrun our spiritual relationship with God, through His Son. Salvation and eternal life is just like any other relationship, it can be affected by our behaviors and attitudes.
Hebrews 3:12-14 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.
2 John 1:9 Anyone who goes too far and does not live by the teachings of Christ does not have God. If you live by what Christ taught, you have both the Father and the Son.
1 John 5:11-13 This is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
James 1:14-16 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
If you do find yourself in sin, just admit it, and allow God to cleans you of that sin, so that it doesn't cause spiritual death, which is when we turn back to our old way of living. This is all part of God's plan of salvation.
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.
1 John 2:1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
Proverbs 24:16 A righteous person may fall seven times, but he gets up again.
Salvation is not only about this life, salvation prepares us for the life to come. In the life to come there will be no more death, pain or sorrow. Nothing that sin brought into God's first creation will be part of His new creation. Today He is preparing a people for His new creation.
Isaiah 65:17 “Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.
2 Peter 3:13 But we are looking forward to God’s promise of new heavens and a new earth afterwards, where there will be only goodness.
Revelation 21:3-4 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
Start reading your Bible, find other believers who are mature in the faith to help you navigate the Word of God. Our journey in the Kingdom of God will consist of learning what God calls holy, and making holiness a part of our life.
Romans 6:22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become servants of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.
This life does not have to be the only life you have...
See you in the Kingdom...
