Know Him Better

When a child is born into a family, there is almost an instant bond of love. The parent and child spend LOTS of time together and truly begin to know each other. The parent knows the needs of the child, and the child knows the parent as the provider of comfort and security.
But as the child grows, other activities and friends begin to limit time with parents. In the search for independence, there is often rebellion toward parental instruction and counsel. Soon, the parent and child drift apart and no longer communicate as they once had – they sadly cease to know one another.
Ephesians 1:16-17
“I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.”
Notice this is Paul’s continuous prayer, that we be given revelation and wisdom. Revelation is the unveiling of God’s truth and wisdom is the application of His truth in our lives. Both of these are necessary and serve the single purpose of knowing Him better.

As we continue in our relationship with Jesus Christ, there is a tendency to hit those spiritual teenage years where we have things pretty well figured out – or so we think. We begin to gain “self” confidence and trust in our own ability. We get more involved in activities (maybe even “good” activities) and with friends (maybe even “good” friends), but one day we wake and find we’ve drifted. We didn’t intentionally walk away, but there’s a definite loss of passion – we no longer really know God.
As a loving father longs to hold his children, our Heavenly Father longs for us to draw near and know Him; “Let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me” (Jeremiah 9:24). The Bible always speaks about knowing someone as a very personal and loving relationship; “Adam knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain” (Genesis 4:1 KJV). Jesus even defined eternal life as a state of knowing; “Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3).
The road back to a restored relationship begins with spending time together. No matter how busy we get we must continue to humbly come into the presence of God, confess the sin which causes separation, fellowship with Him in prayer and the quiet study of His Word, and listen intently for His direction. Let’s commit (or recommit) to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and let’s be determined to take the necessary steps to draw near and know Him better.

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Divine Weather

A quote in the Washington Post caught my attention.  As hurricane Sandy approached the American eastern seaboard a Washington DC resident remarked, 
This wry comment in the face of daunting weather reports touches an important issue.  What role does God play in bringing about hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, and the like?  Insurance companies call them “acts of God.”  Are they?
Yes.  The Bible regularly presents God as ruling all realms of nature, including weather. Think, for instance, of Noah’s flood in Genesis 7.  Or the Genesis 41 account of a seven-year famine in Joseph’s era.  There were also the three rainless years in Elijah’s time—in 1 Kings 17.  And the episode in Mark 4 when Jesus stilled the storm on the Sea of Galilee and his disciples marveled, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
But what can we do with this answer?  Outside the Bible God never explains why these things come along.  So if he wants us to learn something from natural disasters today, how would he let us know?  We don’t have any God-ordained spokesman—at least any we might trust—to tell us, “A storm [or earthquake, fire, tornado, fiery asteroid] will arrive one month from today to warn you about God’s view of your sins!”  That’s what Jonah did and it worked for Nineveh but it’s not something we’ve seen much since then.
The point is that any prophetic speaker needs to speak beforehand and in specific terms for listeners to give him any credence.  That’s different than in a case after Hurricane Katrina when a preacher claimed the storm was God’s judgment against New Orleans for her vices.  This after-the-fact claim sounded more like a mean-spirited “piling on” rather than a God-inspired message.  One might ask this would-be-prophet, among many other things, why New Orleans instead of so many other equally deserving cities?
A better response is to offer a tender heart and a giving spirit to care for any and all whose lives are shattered by a hurricane and its flooding.  God is rich with mercy and all of us who know him are called to share that mercy freely.
Yet there is another prospect to consider.  Can we as individuals come to God and ask him, “Lord, what can I learn about you through this disaster?  You’ve caught my attention: can you open the eyes of my heart to see you more clearly as the ruler of all nature?  Do I have some room to grow here in grasping what it means for you to be God?”
Some possible lessons come readily to mind.  For one: that no matter how strong and resourceful a given country might be, humility before God is still called for.  That when an election is taking place to select national leaders we should pause and say, “Oh mighty God, how then should we live in light of your much greater role as the ultimate ruler?”  And another: that storms will come and go, but if we step out to love others amid extraordinary hardships we then start to recover some extraordinary values.
So even as I write this I’m continuing to watch the news, praying for God’s mercy.  And I’m praying for many tens of thousands of people who would otherwise be preoccupied with their own mundane concerns to pause and say: “Oh my God, we need you!”  

In HIS Service,
Sushil B R

Getting Right With God

As we said before, the one way to get right with God is based completely on the Bible, not our opinion. This can be verified by reading the Bible yourself. That is why we inserted the Bible link above. Now, if we are going to follow what the Bible says about getting right with God, we have to answer three important questions.

Question 1: Why do I need Jesus?

 Most people begin with a wrong view of their condition in relationship to God. If they believe in a life after this life, they think their own way of getting to heaven is “good enough” to make it through those “pearly gates.”

Unfortunately, these beliefs measure these people against other people. None of these beliefs really explain those people’s condition when related to God. The Bible tells us that every person is totally separated from God by a thing called “sin.” (This is shown in the book of Romans, chapter 3, verse 23. People familiar with the Bible call this “Romans 3:23” as a type of “Bible shorthand.”) Sin is simply disobeying God. Since God is sinless, He can not stand sin, or people with sin (every one of us). We have to be perfect. The problem is that we can not be perfect, it is impossible.

Think of it this way. If three of us throw darts at a dart board and one gets two inches away from the bull’s eye, another four inches away, and another misses the board completely, which one of us hit the bull’s eye? No one, of course! This is how it is with us compared to God. The bull’s eye is what God demands (perfection, no sin—ever). Some will come closer to obeying God than others, but no one ever hits the bull’s eye of perfection. Thus, everyone is totally lost and they are (literally) enemies of God, even if they get close to the bull’s eye. Just one sin totally separates us from God. What makes this worse is that we know that if we sin we have to die. See Romans 6:23 (chapter 6, verse 23). We will also be separated from God and eternally in Hell. Needless to say, we have a problem.

This is where Jesus comes in. God knew that there was no possible way that we could ever have any association with Him because of our sin. Knowing that we could not erase even one sin on our own, He loved us so much that He sent His Son Jesus into the world. See John 3:16,17 (chapter 3, verses 16 and 17). Since Jesus never sinned, He did not have to die. Still, He chose to die on the cross for the sins of all people. He became the “perfect sacrifice” for all our sins, and God accepted His death for our sins as payment in full! Therefore, Jesus became the “bridge” between us and God. It is only through what He did that we can have any association with God. See John 14:6. All we have to do is accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord and then live for Him. That brings us to our next question. 

 

Question 2: How Do I Accept Jesus?

 The Bible reveals four steps:

Believe in Jesus and put your faith in Him. See Ephesians 2:8-10 (chapter 2, verses 8 through 10).
Christianity is not a blind faith, but rather a faith based on facts. That is, unlike other faiths, it can be verified and proven to be true.
Repent of your sins. (See Acts 17:30,31.)
What does “repent” mean? Well, imagine that you were going to the store when you realized that you forgot your money. What would you do? You would probably be disappointed that you wasted so much time, but you would still turn around and go home to get your money. Repentance is like that. A repentant person simply says, “God, I behaved badly in my past, and I want to turn around and live the way that You want me to live from now on.” You can talk to God like you would talk to a respected friend and repent of any sin that has been a part of your life.
Confess Jesus as Lord to someone. (See Matthew 10:32,33 and Romans 10:9,10.)
In the Bible, God always places emphasis on what we say—probably because whatever is in your heart determines what you say (Matthew 12:34). Therefore God wants us to verbally commit to Jesus (as Lord of our life) to someone.
Be Baptized (See Acts 2:38,39.)
Being baptized means being immersed in water. Typically, a person would stand in water, be lowered into the water (by another Christian), and then be brought back up out of the water. The significance of this act can be seen in Romans 6:1-7 and an example of it in Acts 8:26-39.
Some people do not think that baptism is part of accepting Jesus. However one thing is clear in the Bible—belief and baptism are always together, never separated. Therefore, it is obvious that baptism is part of accepting Jesus.  Any true Christian may baptize you.
According to the Bible, this four-step process gets you right with God. If you have chosen to do this, congratulations! You are now on the “straight and narrow” path and can begin developing and keeping a relationship with God. That leads us to our third and final question.

Question 3: How Do I Stay Right With God Through Jesus? 

Many times people think that God is going to forgive their past sins, but after becoming a Christian, they can never sin again or God will reject them. This is not the case at all, so let’s get an understanding of how we are to live after accepting Christ as our Savior and Lord.
1 John 1:5-2:6 (chapter 1, verse 5 through chapter 2, verse 6) gives the best answer. This passage describes people who are right with God, and explains to them that they will still struggle with and fall into sin at times. At these times, it says that the blood of Jesus cleanses them from all sin. However, it first qualifies how believers must live to apply this promise to themselves. It uses the terms “walking in the light” and “walking in the darkness.”
The big issues here are foundation, motivation, and consistency. If our foundation is the Bible, and if our motivation is being like Christ, and if we consistently seek to live like Christ, then we know that Jesus covers our sins, and we are still right with God. (See 1 John 2:5,6 and 1 John 5:13.) However, if we say that we know God, and yet do not consistently seek to live like Christ by obeying Him (that is, we continue to “walk in darkness”) God says that we are liars and the truth is not in us. (See 1 John 2:3,4 and 1 John 1:6.) Thus, if you make a decision to accept Christ, you must understand that it means a lifetime commitment toward seeking to be like Jesus in the way that you live. This is what “staying right with God” is all about—becoming more like Jesus! We certainly hope that you will choose Jesus!

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Faith To Move Mountains

In the message “The Mountain of Faith” we saw the faith of Abraham as God told him to climb the mountain and sacrifice Isaac. But, more importantly, we saw this as a picture of what it means to truly believe. Jesus said, “whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16), but true belief clearly implies a willingness to obediently follow.
The gift of eternal life is given to those who have faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin. This precious gift is never linked to a specific amount of faith; rather, the only requirement of the gospel is that our faith be genuine. In fact, Jesus stated that a small amount of faith can accomplish more than we can imagine.
Matthew 17:20
“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
This is amazing! Jesus used the example of a mustard seed because it was the smallest seed known. A few chapters later He made a similar statement; “If you have faith and do not doubt…you can say to this mountain, ‘Go throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done” (Matthew 21:21). If we are a child of God then we have already been given sufficient faith by Jesus, “the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). There is therefore NO obstacle which cannot be cast aside!
Of course, genuine faith also implies an alignment with the will of God. Jesus even said, “He can do only what He sees His Father doing” (John 5:19). This is why we don’t see individuals moving physical mountains today – it’s not in the will of God. However, it’s most definitely in God’s will that we move all mountains which threaten to block our path toward Him or hinder His plan for our life.
If we really believe, we ought to be living our life according to His truth and the faith we have been given! Though we may face mountains in our job, relationships, finances, health, kids, or parents; though we may face temptations or addictions which appear impossible to conquer; though we may battle a low self esteem which says we can’t, we must believe the Word of God is true! “With God ALL things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). Though we may not understand, we must believe, in faith, that God is infinitely greater than the bounds of our understanding. We are not walking alone and NO problem is beyond His ability to direct.
If we desire to live the full life God intends – the life that honors Him with every move and even every breath – then God’s Word must become our foundation. Whatever problems we face, we must fall on our knees with humble submission to His will and seek His face in prayer. Then we must rise up and step forward without doubt, and, in His strength, believe we have been given the faith to move mountains.

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The Mountain of Faith

When Abraham was over eighty years old, God made him a wonderful promise: “A son coming from your own body will be your heir. Look up at the heavens and count the stars – so shall your offspring be” (Genesis 15:4-5).
Many years went by without any indication that God would fulfill this promise. Finally, when Abraham was one hundred years old (and his wife, Sarah, was ninety) God fulfilled His promise through the birth of Isaac. But when Isaac was a young boy, God told Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son.
Genesis 22:2
“Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
We can’t even imagine receiving this type of command from God. Abraham loved Isaac; and Isaac also represented the fulfillment of God’s promise. But Abraham didn’t even question the apparent conflict between God’s promise and His command…he simply believed and obeyed. Abraham took Isaac and climbed the mountain, placed him on top of a pile of wood, and “took the knife to slay his son” (Genesis 22:10).
Many people speculate about the turmoil in Abraham’s mind during this time, but Scripture gives no indication that Abraham ever seemed anxious or concerned. He believed in God, believed His promises, and his faith never seemed to waver. As Abraham was about to kill his son, God stopped him and provided a ram as a substitute sacrifice (Genesis 22:13).
God put Abraham through an unimaginable test of faith…but why? The test wasn’t for God – surely God already knew of Abraham’s faith! It’s possible the test given in order to strengthen Abraham’s faith. God often tests us as a way of refining and drawing us closer to Himself. But I believe the main reason for Abraham being asked to climb the mountain was so we would have a clear picture of what it means to believe and trust God.
Belief is central to the gospel message. It is so important that God gave a picture through Abraham which allows us to truly understand what Jesus meant when He said; “whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
God is calling us to believe. He is calling us to a life of faith where we have such a strong assurance of His presence that He is all we need…all we value and hold dear. Let’s give ourselves completely to Him, without ANY reservation – let’s truly believe! Let’s give Him ALL our heart and be willing to sacrifice ALL for His glory and honor. Let’s once and for all climb the mountain of faith.

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The Examined Life

We’ve heard it said, and it proves to be true, the unexamined life is not worth living. If we flow through life without evaluating who we are and what we believe, we have not really lived. Deep down, we all desire to take a stand and live according to a consistent set of beliefs. This requires a boldness to explore beneath the surface of our beliefs, into our very soul! Without this boldness we may give the appearance of living, and may even fool ourselves for a number of years, but there will always be an emptiness until we look deep within and deal with what we find.
God knows every detail of our heart; “Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). But our Heavenly Father desires for us to know our own heart as we are being transformed; “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5).
As we seek to understand who we are – with all our hidden motives, pride, and selfishness – we find we’re somewhat difficult to understand. Without the spiritual help which God freely gives, there will be parts of our life which remain covered and dark. There may also be portions of our heart we would rather not face.
Psalm 139:23-24
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
It’s foolish to think we can hide anything from God! It’s equally foolish to intentionally close areas of our heart from examination when we know those areas are keeping us separated from God. What do we really believe? And are we living consistent with that belief?
We have been given God’s Word as a guide, “a lamp to my feet” (Psalm 119:105). And as we dig deeper into His Word, we find the same lamp which guides our steps also reveals our heart: “The lamp of the Lord searches the spirit of a man; it searches out his inmost being” (Proverbs 20:27). Using God’s Word to truly examine our heart can be painful. It seems we strip back one layer only to expose additional layers of sin we didn’t even know we had; but this process must continue without fear!
If we desire to live in His presence and bring Him glory and honor in all we do, we must determine today to know ourselves. We must know what we believe, with all our strengths and weaknesses, and know our level of resolve to follow where He leads. Let’s open our heart and allow His Spirit to search and wash us with His Word. Let’s follow according to a consistent belief and commit to living the examined life.

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Give Them Something To Eat

Our world is full of people in deep spiritual need. Most have never placed their trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin and are literally starving right before our eyes. But even many Brothers and Sisters who love the Lord are desperately hungry to know Him more, or they have been wounded and are in need of long term spiritual nourishment.
God’s Word tells us to have open eyes and a soft heart such that we can recognize the needs and bring them before our Father in prayer; “In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). But then we are told to carefully listen for God’s leading and fully expect to be put to work.
One afternoon, a crowd of over 5000 people had gathered to hear Jesus teach; “He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing” (Luke 9:11). The disciples saw it was getting late and would soon be time to eat. They recognized the need of the people, came before Jesus, and “presented their request.”

Luke 9:12-13
“Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to Him and said, ‘Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.’ He replied, ‘You give them something to eat.’”
When the disciples approached Jesus, they presented the need…but they also presented their solution. They knew the people were growing hungry, but their solution was to send them elsewhere for food. We often make this same mistake when we limit God by our own vision and understanding. Jesus’ solution to this need was to bless the few provisions the disciples could gather and then accomplished His work through their hands; “They all ate and were satisfied” (Luke 9:17).

God never asks us to do something without also providing the necessary tools to accomplish all He desires. We have been empowered by His Spirit and equipped through His Word. Yes, we must continue to pray; but our prayers ought to be with an understanding that God may very well direct US to carry His life-giving food and be a vessel for His healing.
There can be no greater work here on earth than to take part in restoring someone’s relationship to our Heavenly Father. Only God can truly heal, but He has invited us to join Him in this awesome work. Let’s continue to lift up the many needs to God in prayer, but then let’s prepare for His answer – His invitation – which calmly says, “You give them something to eat...”

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Proof of Your Christian Faith

 

If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

The book of 1 John provides examples of where to find the evidence.

Do you love not only God but His people?  ~  The attitude of love, or lack of love, for your fellow Christians is a test of character. “We know that we have passed out of death into life by the fact that we love our fellow Christians” (1 John 3:14). “Let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” (4:7). “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves His children, too” (5:1). “This is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” (3:11).

Do you seek to live in obedience to God’s Word?  ~  Your actions which show victory over sin and the old nature are a test of your confession. “Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence”(1 John 3:18-19). 

A functional Christian does not continue in habits of sin. “Whoever has been born of God does not sin” (3:9). “We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him” (5:18). 

Christians who are fulfilling their calling have gained victory over the world and its allures.  “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever” (2:15-17).

“Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (5:4-5). 

The bottom line for a Christian who is following his operator’s manual is a righteous life before God. “If you know—perceive and are sure—that Christ is absolutely righteous (conforming to the Father's will in purpose, thought, and action), you may also know (be sure) that everyone who regularly practices righteousness (and therefore is conformed to God’s will) is born of God” (2:29).   

 

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The Most Important Question

We seem to spend an enormous amount of time evaluating questions about our future: what school we will attend, what job we will work, who we will marry, and where we will live. These are important questions and deserve careful consideration. But have we given proper thought to the question which determines our eternal future?
If the Bible is simply a collection of stories and the thoughts of crazy men, then there is no eternity and you need read no further – the next several years are all we have, so make the most of them. But if the Bible is God’s direct message, then there is nothing of greater importance! His message says we continue to live long after our physical body ceases to breathe. Though we pass from this earth, we continue to live – we either live in eternal joy and peace, or eternal pain and suffering. There is no greater question: Where WILL we spend eternity?
When Jesus died, He was nailed to a cross along with two other men. These men were thieves and both mocked Jesus for claiming to be the Son of God. But at some point during those long hours on the cross, one of the men demonstrated a changed heart and had his eternal future radically altered.
Luke 23:40-41
“‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’”
In the last moment of life, this common thief pointed the way to eternal peace. He recognized his sin and understood he deserved death. We ALL sin and fall short of God’s standard; and this sin deserves death, eternal pain and suffering. But praise God we need not dwell in this hopeless state. The thief turned from his sin, toward Jesus as the One who would conquer death; “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom” (Luke 23:42).
Though the thief had nothing to give, he surrendered ALL. God’s Word never says there are specific acts which determine our eternal future. We are simply told to believe in Jesus with such a belief that we call out with complete surrender. When the thief recognized and turned from his sin, with humility toward Jesus as his only hope, Jesus answered as He promises to answer us today; “I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
In that moment the thief had his answer. No longer a thief but a Child of God, he would live forever in joy and peace. Let’s not allow another day to go by without knowing where we will spend eternity! Have we recognized and turned from the sin within our heart? Have we humbly placed our life in His hands? Do we really believe? Today, let’s make sure we know the answer to the most important question.

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Opportunity To Praise

There are going to be days when we just don’t feel like being thankful – we wake up and don’t seem able to praise. We know we should “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4); we’re trying to learn “the secret of being content in any and every situation” (Philippians 4:12); and we want to believe that “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him” (Romans 8:28). But sometimes it’s just difficult.
There are many reasons for days like this. We sometimes may lose the eternal perspective of our life and our surroundings. We take our eyes off Jesus and begin to look at the gathering storm (Matthew 14:30). We may become entangled in the weeds and get choked by “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth” (Matthew 13:22). Or we may simply become tired and weary.
Days like this are to be expected. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33a) – and our trouble will sometimes strain our relationship with God. But even in the midst of our trouble, we are all being “transformed into His image” (2 Corinthians 3:18). When we place our life in His hands, He begins the process of transformation – a process which WILL continue; “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6). Even though we may sometimes struggle and find ourselves in a dry desert, we are still progressing from what we once were to what we will yet become. God will use these difficult seasons to mold our heart if we will simply continue to trust, love, and praise.
We must NEVER forget that Jesus also said of our troubles; “But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b). We must continue to grow in our relationship with God until He is so near that we can truly see how He has overcome; and praise Him all day and every day. He desires our praise, and He is, without a doubt, deserving of our praise!
Psalms 113:3
“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.”
The Psalm writer is stating a simple fact: The Lord IS to be praised! Jesus affirmed this truth when He was riding into Jerusalem and made it clear that He will receive praise with or without our participation. Crowds had begun to praise Him and some of the religious leaders told Jesus to make them stop. But Jesus responded; “I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out” (Luke 19:40). Either we offer up our praise to the Creator of the Universe, or the rocks will begin to sing!
No matter what our situation is today, let’s remember He is worthy of our praise! He has picked us up, cleaned us off, and adopted us into His Family. It is sad and a terrible shame, but we often forget how many reasons we have for being thankful. Let’s rise up and use this and every other moment of the day to rejoice with thanksgiving in our heart. Let’s not miss another opportunity to praise.

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3 Deaths

~ Typified in the Three Crosses of Luke 23 ~

Dead IN Sin (the sinner)  ~   The first death is the natural condition of all mankind. The natural man who has not been born of the Spirit of God is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1).

One thief on the cross died IN sin. “Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying,  ‘If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.’ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?’” (Luke 23:39-40).

Died FOR Sin (the Savior)  ~   The second death is the Gospel of God available to all mankind. “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3).

The Savior died on the middle Cross FOR sin. “But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise’” (Luke 23:40-43).

Dead TO Sin (the saint)  ~   The third death is the result of faith and obedience in the Gospel of God. “How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:2).

One thief on the cross died TO sin. “Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise’” (Luke 23:42-43).

Summary  ~  There were two thieves crucified alongside Jesus Christ. Both had a common background, common frustration with life, and both needed abundant life. They had a common reaction but with conflicting results. Both tried prayer – one was sincere, the other was not. One was granted eternal life, the other was not! Our good friend Anonymous has put it this way, “One thief was saved that none should despair, but only one that none should presume!”  

 

contemplate:  The first man, Adam, was a thief (forbidden fruit) and the first convert was a thief. 

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B.R. SUSHIL KUMAR, M.Sc, M.Phill

                         Executive President

   ADAMAH PEACE MINISTRIES

Hird Jr College Campus

NARASARAOPET – 522601

Guntur (Dist), AP, S.India

Mail Me : sushilbr@yahoo.com

Mobile : +91 988 556 1934

 

2 Births

One of the basic tenets of Christianity is the concept of a second birth or being “born again.”

Natural Birth  ~  Initially each human being is “born of a woman” as a baby. This natural birth is also known as “born of flesh.” This first birth is outside the realm of individual choice; however, the second birth is a direct result of individual choice (to make no choice is to choose). 

Spiritual Birth  ~   The choice to be born a second time or “born again” results in salvation and eternal life with God. This is only possible because of the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ as the penalty for our sin. This supernatural birth is also known as “born of the Spirit.” But individuals must make this personal choice for themselves.    

For many it may be helpful to realize the term “born again” has its roots in Judaism. The term was used in reference to a Gentile who was formally converted to Judaism. The Talmud, or oral law, states, “One who has become a proselyte is like a child newly born” (Yevamot 48b).

Nicodemus was genuinely confused as he interacted with Jesus. Since Nicodemus knew Jesus was not only a Jew but a Master Teacher of Israel, he understood that Jesus was not asking him to convert to Judaism.

Understanding the second birth in Judaism helps explain later verses. “Nicodemus answered and said to Him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?’” ( John 3:9-11).

Jesus was telling Nicodemus he must be born again. His underlying confusion was, “How can I convert to Judaism if I am already a Jew?” Therefore he replies to Jesus, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” (John 3:4).

Remember what Jesus, the Messiah, answered, “A man must be born of water and Spirit” (John 3:5). Natural man understands that natural birth is accompanied by the breaking of the water. The man with spiritual understanding knows that the second birth is accompanied by the Spirit of God breaking through their spiritual blindness. 

Jesus was explaining to Nicodemus that he could not rely on his Jewish heritage as a means of entering into the kingdom of heaven.  In a similar way we cannot rely on being born in a Christian nation, church attendance, or any other factor, as a means of gaining salvation. The bottom line is the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ sacrificed for you. Individual conversion of the heart is necessary for salvation.

The Bottom Line  ~  “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because ‘All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.’ Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you” (1 Peter 1:22-25).

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7 New Things

 A Christian Is New—Not Modified !

When a person becomes a Christian, all things become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Seven closely related factors which each Christian possesses are listed below.

A new mind about God / repentance ~ To become a Christian requires repenting of one’s sins. Repentance involves an abrupt change in thinking about sin and about God (Acts 20:21).

A new attitude toward God / conversion ~ Closely related to repentance, conversion is actually the result of genuine repentance (Matthew 18:3). The individual literally becomes new as he is born spiritually (John 3:3). Previously he was born physically—now born again this time spiritually—literally “born from above.”

A new status before God / justification ~ A Christian is justified. This means that justice has been accomplished—their sins have been paid for in full on the Cross (Romans 4:25). God has not dismissed their sins, rather the full price of their sins has been paid by Jesus Christ. Because of the Cross it is “just as if they had never sinned” in God’s eyes.

A new relationship before God / a son of God ~ The believer is now is part of the family of God (1 John 3:1). All creatures belong to God as a result of creation—those who have acknowledged God for who He is and what He says have been adopted into the family of God. As part of God’s family they are entitled to full rights and have a full inheritance (Galatians 4:7).

A new life from God / regeneration ~ A Christian has been regenerated (Titus 3:5). This is not a fixed-up old life but a new spiritual life which coexists with the natural life. “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:12-13) A key word in this verse is “know.” There is no uncertainty about the future for the Christian who understands the Word of God!

A new position before God / sanctification ~ The Christian has been sanctified, literally set apart, by God for a new and glorious life, ministry, and future home in heaven (Jude 1). The God who created the universe has set you apart for His glory!

A new place with God / glorification ~ While there is a sense of glory from the time of conversion (Romans 8:30), the ultimate glorification of the believer occurs in the future at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. At that time we shall be changed and shall be with God for eternity future.

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