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Starting with probably the most recognizable three verses in the Bible; John 3:16-18; “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (ESV – all emphasis mine)
The above verses are a treasure of information that all but sums up what our Creator is all about. The “Salvation Promise” is in the first sentence. “Whoever believes in Him should not perish [enter eternal damnation], but have eternal life.” God understands us totally, and He knows that through our own resources, we could never be good enough to satisfy His need for perfection.
Verse 18 gives us exactly what the unforgivable sin is. “Whoever does not believe is condemned already.” Anyone who takes their last breath on this earth without having received and accepted Jesus as their Savior automatically has a reservation in that long line that will be at the Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15.
As I have stated previously, God does everything He can to provide us with all that we need to know to help us make the right eternal choice. He could have been a totally different deity and ruled us with an iron fist, treating us like pathetic slaves with absolutely no hope for any future.
In Genesis 1:26, God said He made man in His own image and initially put everything here under his control. Verse 27; “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female, He created them.” Can you just imagine how wonderful this earth could be if we didn’t have Genesis 3? One fallen archangel with a destructive self-pride issue changed it all for us from that moment on.
Here again, the Father could’ve destroyed His creation, along with all humans and even Satan as well. However, He is omnipotent, or all-powerful; omniscient, or all-knowing; and omnipresent, or everywhere past and present and future at the same time. He is not bound by earth time as we are, and He looked ahead and provided a way for all who would receive and accept His Son to have an eternal Home with Him. He knew even then that He would have to supply the perfect sacrifice that would cover our sins.
In 1 John 5:4-5, we read, “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” We’re told in verse 10 that whoever does not believe God has made Him a liar, and personally, I would not want that curse put on me. After all the Father has done for me in my life, I have no desire to disrespect Him in any way.
Along with everyone else who falls under Romans 3:10, “as it is written, none is righteous; no not one.”. And then Romans 3:23; “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And finally, without Jesus, I would fall under the first half of Romans 6:23; “For the wages of sin is death.” There is a big “however,” though, as the second half of that verse states, “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Please remember, Jesus was the only “human” to live His life here without ever committing a sin.
Two more verses from 1 John 4: 8 & 16. “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love…. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”
Just how powerful is the Father’s love for us? Romans 8:38-39; “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, not height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
A song from 1992 by Geoff Bullock speaks of all this. It is called “Power of Your Love.”
1.) Lord, I come to You; let my heart be changed, renewed, flowing from the grace that I found in You. Lord, I’ve come to know the weaknesses I see in me will be stripped away by the Power of Your Love.
Ref.) Hold me close; let Your love surround me. Bring me near; draw me to Your side. And as I wait, I’ll rise up like the eagles, and I will soar with You; Your Spirit leads me on In the Power of Your Love.
2.) Lord, unveil my eyes; let me see You ‘face to face,’ the knowledge of Your love as You live in me. Lord, renew my mind as Your will unfolds in my life, in living every day by the Power of Your Love. (ref x2)
Isaiah 40:31 is referenced in this song. “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
There are false prophets who declare that Jesus was a “created” being the same as all of us but that He was also a good prophet. They purposely skip over John 1:1-3. Verse 1 ends with “the Word was God.” We may never be able to fully explain the Holy Trinity while we are on this earth, but our Godhead is made up of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and that’s good enough for me.
In 2 Peter 3:9, we’re told that God is patient toward us and would like for everyone to repent and be saved. Up until just about 35 years ago, my life was about the same as many who believe they are saved. I grew up believing Jesus was real but never really considered that I could have a relationship with Him. The “gift” was available, but I had never accepted it.
Something within me put it on my mind that I needed to read God’s word for myself. Up to then, whatever the preachers said, I believed their words to be totally true. I am convinced the Holy Spirit touched me because of some faithful prayer warriors that were concerned about my eternal life.
After reading Genesis 1:1 through Revelation 22:21 for the first time, questions were planted in my mind that I had to find the answers for. I started out with a King James Version Bible but found that an English Standard Version Study Bible was easier for me to read and understand. Even now, I don’t let a day go by without reading from it, or my day seems incomplete. Although I will never profess to know everything in our Father’s word, I do know the steps of Salvation, and I called out to Jesus for Him to forgive me and save me.
The “conditions” for everyone to follow to be saved are found in Romans 10:9-13. Confess and admit we’re all sinners and cannot save ourselves; have faith and believe that Jesus is our Savior who gave us the most precious gift on the cross at Calvary by shedding His pure, sinless blood for us. As a human, He died for us, and the Father raised His body up on that third day to conquer sin and death once and for all. Everyone who will call out and receive and accept His wonderful gift will be saved.
We’re told of a coming event called the “Rapture,” where God will remove all true believers from this evil planet to keep us from going through the 7-year tribulation. In Matthew 24 and Luke 21, we’re given the signs of what will be happening at the end of this age, and all of them are present right now for the first time ever. Jesus said when these things “begin” to happen, His coming will be soon. Looking back, everything started about 10 years ago, and we’re moving faster and faster to the “taking up” of all believers.
Today would not be too early to call on Jesus to be your Eternal Shepherd. Once the Rapture takes place, this world will go through a time so terrible, such as has never been before. Our Heavenly Father will not force anyone how to decide where they will spend eternity, but Jesus is there waiting for all who are presently unsaved to call out to Him. He will turn no one away who truly calls, and as John 14:1-3 states, He will prepare a place for all who do by His own hand.
Please take a moment to look at the only two options everyone has when they leave this earth. It will either be Heaven with Jesus and all the saints, or it will be hell with Satan and all the unsaved. It is your choice and is the most important decision you will ever make on this earth. Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He allows all of us to make this decision.
Please know, once a person takes their last breath here, the decision cannot be changed. As a song line goes, “Jesus is coming soon; morning, night, or noon.” Hoping to see you there.
Shalom! Maranatha!
The post Power Of God’s Love :: By Dennis Huebshman appeared first on Rapture Ready.
Anonymous
Amen! Amen!
Anonymous
Amen! Amen!