The first sentence in the Bible is the biggest miracle of them all!
Have you ever been asked by someone, “Who created God?” I think it’s a super valid question, even though it may be kind of a ‘gotcha’ moment coming from someone who doesn’t believe there is a God.
Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Consider this next time you’re asked about where God came from, as He literally created everything from nothing! Which means God has always been, and was never created by anything or anyone.
The God of the Bible is not affected by time … by space … or by matter! If He were affected by any of these, then He wouldn’t be God.
The Bible answers this oftentimes seeming dilemma surrounding where He came from in the above verse:
1) In the beginning (Time!)
2) God created heaven (Space!)
3) And the earth (Matter!)
Time is past, present & future.
Space has length, width & height.
And matter has solid, liquid & gas.
The reality is that the God who created them, has to be outside of them. If He’s limited by time, He can’t be God. The God who created the universe has to be outside of the universe.
It will be helpful to remember next time you’re asked where God came from, that the person (whether an atheist, a skeptic, or just someone sincerely curious) … is assuming a limited God.
Which should be a perfect segue to share how the personal relationship you have with Jesus has changed everything for you in your life, as well as for your eternal future.
The Apostle Paul says in 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 God is certainly not limited by man’s opinions surrounding what He can or cannot do.
Rest assured that if you choose to put your faith and trust in Jesus, that He will literally be with you through all the ups-and-downs that this life here and now is sure to present you with.
What does it mean to find our identity in Christ?
It’s safe to say that everyone desires a life filled with meaningful purpose, a clear sense of perspective, and real peace of mind.
I believe these characteristics can only be achieved and experienced if we choose to accept that every human being has been created in the image of God. Here’s what Genesis 1:27 says:
“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
It’s imperative to see ourselves accurately and truthfully, the way God sees each and every one of us. We are all born with value and purpose … but because He created us with free will, it’s up to us to choose to put our faith and trust in God as our Savior.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:16-17, “So from now on we regard no one from a human point of view [according to worldly standards and values]. Though we have known Christ from a human point of view, now we no longer know Him in this way. Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].
For Christians, having our identity in Christ means that we find our sense of self-worth, purpose, and value in Jesus. This means that our identity is not defined by our accomplishments, status, possessions, acclaim, popularity, or any other external factors … but only by our position as beloved children of God. John 1:10-12 says this about Jesus:
“He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.
How about you? Do you recognize Jesus as the Lord and Savior of your life? Or, like His own people … have you rejected Him and His free offer to pay for the price of your sins?
Look who Jesus prays for prior to His crucifixion!
Jesus prays for His disciples who He spent the previous three years with, here in John 17:6-8:
“I have manifested Your name to the people whom You have given Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept and obeyed Your word. Now they know that all You have given Me is from You. For the words which You gave Me I have given them; and they received and accepted them and truly understood that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me.”
It’s almost beyond comprehension what Jesus prayed in verses 20 & 21, when He asked the Father for us (all future believers) to become one with Him:
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for [all] those who [will ever] believe and trust in Me through their message, that they all may be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”
Rather than being overwhelmed by such a realization that we in fact can become one with the Creator of the universe … may we also recognize the massive responsibility God has called each one of us to.
Because of our witness, and through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, it’s possible for those around us to believe without any doubt that Jesus was truly sent by the Father to save their souls for all eternity.
We’re all missionaries right where we are, as well as ambassadors for Christ to a lost and dying world around us! The big question is, “Will we step up, and surrender complete ownership of our lives unto Him, in order that many will repent of their sins and put their trust in the only One who can save their souls?”
May we be both motivated and extremely encouraged by what the Apostle Paul tells us what Jesus is doing right now, here in Romans 8:34 says:
“Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.”
Thank you Lord for this high calling to represent Your truth to those who need Your saving grace! And thank you for continuing to intercede for us from heaven, as we trust Your guidance and direction with every divine appointment You allow us to have each day.
Do you ever look at faith in Jesus as a “Touchstone Proposition?”
Consider a definition of what a touchstone proposition is to be something like, “A fundamental principle, standard, or test used to evaluate the quality, value, or genuineness of someone’s worldview.”
If identifying the truth surrounding a person’s convictions was based on how they choose to live their lives … what would objective reality say about your worldview?
I think it may help to personalize these kinds of questions as we consider ways in which we come up short in our behaviors … along with specific actions we can take to daily grow closer to the Lord.
As it relates to motor skill acquisition, and let’s just say for example changing a bad habit in your golf swing … the reality is that behaviors don’t change without awareness! How is our profession of faith in alignment with our lived-out observable actions?
Back to the original question as we consider a proposition to mean, “A statement that can be either true or false, and its truth value can be determined.”
Jesus says in Matthew 7:16 & 24-27 “You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
What we decide to do with Jesus changes everything!! Putting our trust in Him will certainly change how we act throughout our lifetime, as well as change our eternal destination.
If Jesus is in fact the very foundation of your soul (the essence of who you are) …. truly a touchstone proposition … then there will come a day when you will live with Him forever in heaven! According to Scripture, there will literally come a day when there will be no more tears, no more suffering, no more estranged relationships, no more financial hardships, no more physical limitations … and, no more death!
May we all, here and now, take inventory of those areas that are within our control to change, in preparation for the goal of hearing Jesus say when we meet Him face-to-face, on that glorious day … “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things … Now, enter into the joy of your lord!”
Scriptures to help us be better listeners
I sincerely admire the handful of people I personally know, who ‘listen with their eyes!’ Way too often, I’m guilty of preparing my response in my head while whoever I’m talking with is sharing from their heart.
James 1:19 says, “Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words} and slow to anger.”
Proverbs 18:13 says, “He who answers before he hears [the facts]—It is folly and shame to him.”
Proverbs 2:2 says, “Making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding.”
Proverbs 18:2 says, “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.”
Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
1 Thessalonians 2:13 says, “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”
James 1:22 says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
If you’re at all like me, I need to constantly work on being a much better listener. Not only when friends or family are trying to communicate with me … but also when the Lord is speaking to me through His Spirit as well as through His word!
How to respond to one of the most destructive habits we all (at times) struggle with
Follower’s of Christ are not exempt from worrying! However, we do possess the antidote for overcoming such a common habit that we can fall into when distressing circumstances arise.
One of the best practices I’ve found to handling difficult situations that can easily overwhelm me, and rob me of my peace … is to go to God’s word for guidance.
You may consider choosing to memorize specific passages, or have some prepared as your ‘go-to’ verses whenever the storms of life hit.
I promise you won’t regret having a plan in place that focuses on the only One who can truly bring relief to your troubled mind.
For example …
Jesus says this in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid.”
Paul says in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
Peter says in 1 Peter 5:6-7, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the appropriate time, casting all your cares on Him, for He cares about you.”
King David says in Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you, He will never permit the righteous to be moved.”
The prophet Isaiah says in Isaiah 41:10, “Do not fear [anything], for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].”
Paul said in Philippians 4:19, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”
Rather than defaulting to worrying about something that is outside of our control … let’s pay attention to what is very much within our control by giving it to God!
Next time you find yourself in a state of worry … try putting God to the test and remembering what Paul says here in Philippians 4:6-7:
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
Our worldview will determine how we deal with suffering
If your baseline for identifying objective truth is found in the Jesus of the Bible … then this is what the Apostle Paul says about suffering in Romans 8:16-19:
“The Spirit Himself testifies and confirms together with our spirit [assuring us] that we [believers] are children of God. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.”
I don’t know about you, but delayed gratification does not come naturally to me! That’s why the assurance from God’s word is such an integral part of my day-to-day life. I know that I can rely on the fact that He always knows what’s best for me. Especially during the times (and even seasons) when I wish my circumstances would be more comfortable & much easier than they are.
1 Peter 4:12-14 says, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test you [that is, to test the quality of your faith], as though something strange or unusual were happening to you. But insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, keep on rejoicing, so that when His glory is revealed, you may rejoice with great joy. If you are insulted and reviled for [bearing] the name of Christ, you are blessed [happy, with life-joy and comfort in God’s salvation regardless of your circumstances], because the Spirit of glory and of God is resting on you [and indwelling you—He whom they curse, you glorify].”
Since the reality of suffering is unavoidable as we all live in a fallen world … it all boils down to where we put our trust!
For those who have thus far chosen not to trust in the Lord with all their heart, and who decide to lean on their own understanding, and who choose not to acknowledge Him in all their ways … I encourage them to challenge God to reveal Himself to them while there’s still time. May you open up your heart and your mind, as it’s the Lord’s desire that everyone would be saved, and all will come to the knowledge of the truth!
For those of us who have placed our trust and our faith in Jesus, may we view each trial, and every hardship, and all the times of suffering, as temporary times of testing that we can embrace and know that we’re never ever alone. God has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us!
Are we responsible for our God given abilities?
The short answer is “Yes!”
We find a very revealing and very specific Biblical example given by Jesus in the “Parable of the Talents,” in Matthew 25:14-30. Jesus uses stories and scenarios to uncover literal principles (or truth claims) surrounding subjects like … our accountability for the gifts God gives us.
The big takeaway, along with the literal reality surrounding these questions is found in verse 29 when Jesus says, “To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.”
We would do well to pay close attention to what the Lord communicates to us through His “Owner’s Manual.” He clearly wants us to value and utilize to the max all of our individual abilities that He’s instilled within us.
It’s important to recognize that it’s not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ or ‘cookie-cutter’ accountability that we’ll all face on judgment day. The outcome will be commensurate with what we did based on what He provided us with!
We should look forward to someday reigning with Christ in the New Heavens on the New Earth! For now though, may we be good stewards of his many personal blessings.
Ultimately, may we remain faithful in preparation for the eternal rewards & responsibilities that will be bestowed upon us (or taken away) based on the choices we make here and now.
Want to never have to fear or worry about your death ever again?
Even though Jesus told His disciples and followers what was going to happen after His death before He was crucified on Good Friday, they didn’t begin to grasp or fully understand the literal life-altering implications of Him being raised from the dead until Sunday.
Praise the Lord that two thousand years later, we don’t have to doubt, or wonder, or speculate, or guess, or certainly even worry for even a nano second about our eternal future leading up to the moment of our death … IF we repent of our sins, sincerely believing that Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins in full.
I had no control of actually being born on Easter Sunday in 1961, but my dad liked to say that he wasn’t going to let me be born on April fool’s day (some of you good at math may now know by birthday).
However, some 18-years later I became born again after seeing first hand what a transformed life looked like when my mom surrendered ownership of her life unto Jesus. Check out our stories page at https://www.mightywind.org/storys to see and hear more about my mom’s amazing life that influenced so many for eternity, before she relocated to heaven in 2023.
On this day, the day that we commemorate the most impactful day in the history of the world … may our baseline for identifying truth be the reality that the Light of the world came back from the dead in order to save those who put their trust in Him!
If you have yet to say “Yes” to Jesus, please don’t take my word for it, search the Scriptures, let them be your guide.
Here’s the account of what actually took place on that glorious first Easter Sunday …
Luke 24:1-6 says, “But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day. Then they remembered that he had said this.”
It’s up to each one of us how we respond (or not) to the truth of the resurrection … how about you?
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any/all questions you may have, as we would love to help any way we can!
“Father forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”
Today marks the darkest day in the history of the world!
This is how Luke partially described what literally happened two thousand year’s ago in Luke 23:33-36 when he said, “When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed Him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on His right and one on His left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for His clothes by throwing dice. The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let Him save himself if He is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers mocked Him, too, by offering Him a drink of sour wine.”
I’m flooded with emotion (as well as with many tears) as I imagine being there to witness the crucifixion of my Lord and my Savior. I find myself overwhelmed with shame, recognizing the horrendous way in which Jesus chose to suffer and die for all of my sins.
Amidst the tremendous sadness I’m feeling right now in remembrance of that awful day when Jesus willingly experienced, and took on the sins of the whole world … I’m beyond grateful that because of His obedience to the Father, He provided the only way for me to be cleansed of my sins and to spend eternity with Him in heaven.
The Apostle Paul says in Romans 3:22-26, “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when He held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for He was looking ahead and including them in what He would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He himself is fair and just, and He makes sinners right in His sight when they believe in Jesus.”
1 John 1:8-10 says, “If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude ourselves and the truth is not in us. [His word does not live in our hearts.] If we admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing]. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
If you have not yet surrendered ownership of your life to Jesus, may you sincerely consider today (Good Friday 2025) to be the day you say “Yes” to Jesus.
And may this Sunday (Easter 2025), be a celebration unlike any other, now that you’ve become born again and you’re eternal future has been secured!!
How can we know if or when we’re pleasing God?
Hebrews 11:5-7 says, “It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—he disappeared, because God took him. For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him. It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith.”
Scripture is clear that without true, real, and genuine faith … it’s impossible to please God. So the answer to our question (at least in part), is we must first put our trust in God for our salvation in order to know that we can please Him.
A good Biblical definition for faith is found in Hebrews 11:1 which says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]”
I think it’s vitally important for us to understand that assurance in this verse does not mean wishful thinking. Rather, the more accurate translation is along the lines of ‘evidence’ or ‘proof’ of our faith that is foundational to the confidence that God wants all of us to experience.
It’s wise at times (especially when we’re having doubts about whether He’s even present with us) to revisit our foundational experience of when we first became born again! To remember what changed once we surrendered ownership of lives unto Jesus … and after sincerely repenting what it felt like having our sins forgiven and wiped away.
What are some of the evidences of those who have true faith?
I’d like you to think for a moment of someone who you really admire. Not necessarily a favorite athlete, or a famous person who you personally don’t have a relationship with, or somebody you only know by reputation. Rather, think of a person who has made a positive impression on you, and who you might go to for advice, and who you genuinely enjoy spending time with.
The person who comes to my mind is actually a friend who I’ll meet with for coffee tomorrow morning. One of the reasons I admire him so much, and can hardly wait to catch up every time we get together … in large part is because of how he handled an incredibly difficult situation a few years ago. The circumstances were so bad, and so wrong, without any fault of his at all … yet he lost almost everything in his life that he held dear, and had worked tirelessly for.
I’ve been privileged to see first hand, how this devoted Christian friend lived out the ‘Fruit of the Spirit’ throughout an overwhelming ordeal that was very public in our small community.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that the person you may be thinking about right now (who you admire) does not fall into the following category that the Apostle Paul mentions in Galatians 5:19-21:
“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”
However, my close friend (and probably the person you’re thinking of) most definitely falls into the description given by Paul in Galatians 5:22-23 when he says:
“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
We’re all guaranteed to face storms throughout our lifetimes … but as follower’s of Christ, we won’t ever have to face them alone!
I’m inspired to continually surrender ownership of my life (moment-by-moment) to the Lord who lives within me, in large part due to others like my friend who have allowed the Holy Spirit in their lives to shine so brightly!
What do belly buttons, opinions, and a baseline for identifying truth all have in common?
Well, the best I can tell … we ALL have them!
Because we at MWM have chosen to establish our baseline for identifying truth to be the Jesus of the Bible, I’d like to encourage everyone to take some time to consider examining what your baseline for identifying truth actually is.
If you reject Christianity as being true, there are many other choices to put your faith in, like Atheism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Baha’i, Mormonism, Jehovah Witnesses, etc.
The Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:5, “We demolish arguments and every pretense that sets itself against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Other words that could help us to better understand what Paul is conveying in the first half of this verse could be; ‘Destroying proud obstacles, or sophisticated, or arrogant arguments that are coming from lofty opinions that others use in opposition to the knowledge of God.’
As it relates to the second half of this challenging verse, Paul encourages us to; ‘Intentionally and purposely bring, or lead every thought to line up with what we know from the Scripture, that Jesus teaches us how to think as well as how to live out our lives.”
Please thoughtfully consider the following words written on the headstone in a graveyard:
“Pause now stranger, as you pass by …
As you are now, so once was I …
As I am now, so you shall be …
So prepare for death, and follow me”
A wise response might be something like:
“To follow you is not my intent …
Until I know which way you went!”
The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus rose from the grave, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father, in His resurrected body. The Bible also clearly teaches that those who choose to put their faith and trust in Him in this lifetime, will be redeemed, and will live in resurrected bodies for all eternity with Jesus in heaven.
The decision is ours surrounding where we will in fact live after we die! My prayer for each one of you is that you will make the decision to follow Christ here and now, while there’s still time.
What happens when we die?
If Jesus is your baseline for identifying truth, then the Bible is absolutely clear where your soul (the essence of who you are) will go after you take your last breath on this earth. There’s no ambiguity and no doubt about it.
The great news is, we all are given the choice to decide where we will live for all eternity! Depending upon your decision, you will either be present with the Lord … or, you will live in torment eternally separated from the presence of God.
Not only will you have nothing to worry about surrounding your impending death, you should be overjoyed with anticipation of your eternal future … if you believe, accept, and live out what the Apostle Paul says here in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4:
“Now brothers and sisters, let me remind you [once again] of the good news [of salvation] which I preached to you, which you welcomed and accepted and on which you stand [by faith]. By this faith you are saved [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose], if you hold firmly to the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain [just superficially and without complete commitment]. For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to [that which] the Scriptures [foretold], and that He was buried, and that He was [bodily] raised on the third day according to [that which] the Scriptures [foretold].”
However, if you die having decided to reject putting your faith in Jesus, then the Bible says this in 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9:
“For after all it is only just for God to repay with distress those who distress you, and to give relief to you who are so distressed and to us as well when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in a flame of fire, dealing out [full and complete] vengeance to those who do not [seek to] know God and to those who ignore and refuse to obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus [by choosing not to respond to Him]. These people will pay the penalty and endure the punishment of everlasting destruction, banished from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.”
If the Bible is true, both heaven and hell are real and eternal. God has given us a free will to decide where we will live forever. The ball is literally in our court … but this is definitely not a game that any of us should take lightly!!
Why is repentance necessary prior to geting saved?
A good Biblical definition of what it means to repent is, “A change of mind that results in a change of action.”
It’s essential that we admit our habitual sinful behavior … and then change our minds about Jesus Himself, recognizing and accepting that He is indeed our Lord and our Savior.
Because every human being is born with a sin nature, none of us are born into the faith as followers of Christ. We all have to repent of our sins in order to become born again, which will guarantee our entrance into heaven whenever we take our final breath at some unknown point in the future.
Peter says this in Acts 4:12 about Jesus being the only way to eternal salvation, “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
2 Peter 3:8-9 says, “But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”
Even though you’re life circumstances at the moment might be complicated, unsteady, and confusing … putting your faith into Jesus as the baseline for identifying truth is quite simple.
You have to sincerely believe the “Easter story” … that Jesus was crucified in order to pay the price for your sins on the cross, and that He rose from the grave on the third day.
If our repentance is real and not just some kind of prayer to try and secure ‘fire insurance’ for after we die … then our lives moving forward will in fact demonstrate, through the power of the Holy Spirit who now resides within our soul (the very essence of who we are) a truly transformed life!
When you consider the risk/reward component to the single most important decision you’ll ever make in your lifetime … my prayer is that you’ll choose very thoughtfully to weigh the two options before you, surrounding where you will live for all eternity.
After surrendering ownership of your life to Jesus, may the fruit of His spirit fill your heart and your mind with the joy of your salvation!
The Apostle Paul gives us some wonderful advice and encouragement to follow, in Philippians 3:10-14 when he said:
“I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”
Unfortunately, we’re living through a cultural time in which we’re oftentimes told by a counselor, therapist, or pop psychology in general … to focus on recalling and reliving past hurts, habits, and hang-ups. We wrongly think that it will help to heal our present set of circumstances, and ultimately bring us the peace of mind we all so desperately desire.
Rather than going along with someone’s opinion (even if they are a ‘professional’) about how we should move forward in our closest relationships with family and/or friends … we would be wise to weigh their counsel against God’s word.
Hebrews 13:7-9 says, “Remember your leaders who brought you the word of God; and consider the result of their conduct [the outcome of their godly lives], and imitate their faith [their conviction that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things, the Provider of eternal salvation through Christ, and imitate their reliance on God with absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness]. Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by diverse and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established and strengthened by grace and not by foods, which bring no benefit or spiritual growth to those who observe them.”
Paul’s words, along with how he chose to live out his faith in Christ, are trustworthy examples for all of us to follow … especially when he said we should forget our past and press on to what’s ahead!
True faith
Alister Begg says, “True faith takes its character and its quality from its object … not from itself.” We should never have faith in faith itself! Rather, we should put our faith wholeheartedly in the One who died on the cross for our sins, and Who rose from the grave, in order that we may be forgiven and redeemed.
It’s entirely Biblical to test our faith in Jesus. Here’s what the Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 13:2-5, “I have already warned those who have sinned in the past and all the rest as well, and I warn them now even though I am absent as I did when I was with you the second time, that if I come back I will not spare anyone, since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in and through me. He is not weak or ineffective in dealing with you, but powerful within you. For even though He was crucified in weakness [yielding Himself], yet He lives [resurrected] by the power of God [His Father]. For we too are weak in Him [as He was humanly weak], yet we are alive and well with Him because of the power of God directed toward you. Test and evaluate yourselves to see whether you are in the faith and living your lives as [committed] believers. Examine yourselves [not me]! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves [by an ongoing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test and are rejected as counterfeit?
As our baseline for identifying truth, the Bible clearly instructs us on how to know we are in fact saved, and our eternity with Jesus is secure!
1 John 5:12-13 says, “He who has the Son [by accepting Him as Lord and Savior] has the life [that is eternal]; he who does not have the Son of God [by personal faith] does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you will know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that you [already] have eternal life.”
If the Bible is true as it relates to teaching that every human being will either live eternally in heaven in a perfect place, or will live eternally in hell in torment … wouldn’t it make sense to know that you know that you know, that you have true saving faith in Jesus?
Not everyone agrees that our lives have meaning
Famous atheist Bertrand Russell said in his book “Why I am not a Christian” that, “Religions are both harmful and untrue.” He also concluded that if life beyond the grave is a myth, then life before the grave has no meaning.
One of the greatest gifts I believe that God gave us, is free will. Consequently, He will never force anyone to spend eternity with Him in heaven when they die.
God also gave each one of us the right to choose our baseline for identifying truth. A good question to ask an atheist is, “If Christianity were true, would you believe in it?” The reality for most people who reject Jesus and His offer to pay for their sins if they would repent and become born again … is that it’s more of a heart issue than it is a head issue. Most atheist simply don’t want Christianity to be true!
The Apostle Paul’s baseline for identifying truth was clearly Jesus! Here’s what he said surrounding having meaning for his life in Philippians 3:6-11:
“I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”
May we all similarly put our trust completely in Jesus, and never forget what 1 John 3:2 says … “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.”
Have you ‘built your house on sand, or on the rock?’
Jesus shared a parable in Matthew 7:24-27 in order to illustrate something that’s true for all of us to consider, when He said the following:
“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
The clear teaching Jesus is conveying to us here, is the reality that we all have a choice surrounding the foundation in which we establish our life on. Either we choose to act upon Jesus’ words … or, we reject Him and build our life on sinking sand.
James 1:21-22 says, “So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”
If you’re like me, you’ve lived long enough to know that the storms of life (death of loved ones, physical suffering, financial set backs, relational challenges, etc.) affect each one of us at some point and to some degree.
The choice is ours to either put our trust fully and completely in Jesus (the rock) and His promises … or, to believe that we can handle it all on our own (a sandy foundation).
In each scenario, the outcomes are predictable, and when we’re honest with ourselves, we’re putting our faith into something or into someone either way.
I encourage you to choose your foundation thoughtfully & wisely! Our decisions and actions will literally have eternal consequences, depending upon the foundation in which we build our lives upon.
Focus on God’s truth, and avoid foolish arguments!
Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:22-24, “Run away from youthful lusts—pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But have nothing to do with foolish and ignorant speculations, since you know that they produce strife and give birth to quarrels. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people.”
Our time on this earth is far too short to waste time in petty arguments. We should rely on the presence of the Holy Spirit within us to discern when someone implements useless disputes into a discussion surrounding meaningless controversies.
Paul also encourages us in Titus 3:5-9 surrounding Christ living within us when he said, “He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we have done, but because of His own compassion and mercy, by the cleansing of the new birth and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out richly upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we would be justified [made free of the guilt of sin] by His [compassionate, undeserved] grace, and that we would be [acknowledged as acceptable to Him and] made heirs of eternal life according to our hope (His guarantee). This is a faithful and trustworthy saying; and concerning these things I want you to speak with great confidence, so that those who have believed God [that is, those who have trusted in, relied on, and accepted Christ Jesus as Savior,] will be careful to participate in doing good and honorable things. These things are excellent and profitable for the people. But avoid foolish and ill-informed and stupid controversies and genealogies and dissensions and quarrels about the Law, for they are unprofitable and useless.
May we continue to learn to be good stewards of our time, and how we can best honor the Lord in everything we say and do.