2000 years ago, He came in a gentle manner;
- To show His love for us
- To teach us
- To be our righteousness
- To suffer the punishment for our sin
- To redeem us to Himself
- To give us eternal life
At His second coming, He demonstrates the other side of a perfect, holy, and just God. He comes;
- As a righteous conquering King
- Riding a white horse
- Robe dipped in blood
- King of kings and Lord of lords written on His thigh
- In judgment to strike down the wicked (those who reject Him)
- To rule and reign on earth for 1000 years; followed by the eternal state with the new heaven and the new earth
- Demonstrating His absolute and sovereign authority over Heaven and earth
- WILL YOU BE WITH HIM OR AGAINST HIM?
The One Thing That Really Matters
We all focus on today's crisis or today's hot list, and with the pace of life today, every day seems overloaded. Many are consumed by our financial portfolio, our career path, our personal relationships, our entertainment, and/or our personal image. As much as these are valid components of life, they tend to distract us from the one overwhelming issue that really matters, and that is assuring your sins are forgiven when you stand before an all-powerful, perfect, holy, and just God. Bear in mind, "good deeds" don't score bonus points to get you into heaven. "Good deeds" are merely keeping up with what you were supposed to be doing all the time. Sins must be forgiven to join God's kingdom and secure your eternal dwelling in our Father's house.
Those without forgiveness will be held accountable and will participate in the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth in the lake of fire for eternity! That is why forgiveness is the one thing that really matters. An infinite God created you with a soul that will continue to exist throughout eternity. On the time line of eternity, your life on earth is but an insignificant spec. Are we so consumed solving our problems and achieving success that we overlook forgiveness and eternity? And what is our goal? Are we trying to create our own little heaven here on earth? If someone actually succeeded (and no one does), it would only last for that "insignificant spec" of time (our time on earth). Then what? Where will you be for the rest of the time line (eternity)? The only thing that really matters is to be forgiven and establish your citizenship in God's kingdom for eternity and not worry so much about the "hot list" during our brief stay here on earth. Only Jesus Christ can forgive sin, and He offers forgiveness as a free gift along with His perfect righteousness and eternal life and the peace that surpasses all understanding and all the other promises He so lovingly reveals in the Bible!
Being forgiven is of such immense importance, that it should always be at the top of your hot list every day. Any item not supportive of item number 1, should be scratched from the list.
Jesus offers forgiveness as a free gift, but who receives forgiveness and all the other staggering benefits of salvation as described in the Bible? Jesus gives forgiveness to all who trust in Him. Trusting Jesus means to believe that the Bible is the absolute truth. Trusting Jesus also includes having faith that Jesus is God the Son, Lord of lords, King of kings, Savior, and Redeemer, and Him who really does have all authority in the heavens and on earth, therefore He has done what He said He did, and He will complete all that is promised and all remaining prophecy. Finally, trusting in Jesus includes repentance of sin (recognizing sin and working it out of our lives) and submission to the will and lordship of Jesus. Surprisingly, some Christians take issue with repentance and submission to the lordship of Jesus. These topics are discussed in greater detail at ###########.
The Gospel
Jesus accomplished our salvation through God's plan of redemption for fallen man, which is also called the Gospel. Therefore, it is also immensely important to have full understanding of the Gospel to build your faith and salvation on solid ground and improve assurance of your own salvation, and it is immensely important to trust in Jesus for everything that the Gospel claims. read on...
Test Your Faith
For those who make the wise decision to know the Gospel and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, it should be an ongoing process to assess the reality and maturity of your faith. Matthew 7:22-23 describes people who thought they had a saving relationship with Jesus, but He said to them, "I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness." These are some of the most ominous words in the Bible, and they take us back to the only thing that really matters. BE CERTAIN THAT YOU ARE FORGIVEN AND THAT YOUR SALVATION IS REAL! The book of James discusses a series of topics that serve as metrics by which we can assess our faith. read on...