Salvation – Evangelism

Salvation, Witnessing, Evangelism

If anyone loves me – John 14:22,23

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Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?”

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.

John 14:22,23

My Pondering

Some folks and religious organizations deny the concept of the Trinity, saying that word isn’t used but there are multiple passages the clearly show and this one essential case in point. The Trinity is critical as it displays the one Godhead fully manifesting three Members, each distinct yet connected as individual Persons.

If you miss the concept of the Trinity, you are probably not saved. That is ultimately way beyond any humans role, but it’s most definitely a stark warning.

This passages also smashes to pieces the concept of election without free will. Its not one verse the other, its a both thing.

Jesus didn’t exclude even Judas the traitor from His reply. Amazing.

Let’s breakdown this incredible verse:

Don’t skip “If” for it is a huge little two letter word. We know God wants all the world to be saved. He loves everyone for we are His creation. Doubt that? Then ponder John 3:16. Look it up if you don’t already know it by heart. But for whatever reason God saw fit, He doesn’t mandate our salvation. I suppose it’s because if we are to fully love God, we must do so by our God given personal free will.

“Anyone“? Yes anyone, that includes everyone including you and I and all. Anyone and everyone.

“loves Me (Jesus)” not just us loving anyone, but rather the only One. – Jesus Christ. None other will suffice.

“he will keep My word;” – God’s Spirit bonds us like super glue. This is why the only unpardonable sin is blaspheming the Holy Spirit. It’s intentionally and irrevocably rejecting the presence of God Spirit upon His entrance unto a sorry soul.

‘and My Father will love him’ – Yes and amen. When we love Jesus, the Father’s love goes next level and we become His for He sees us with Jesus, whom He loves and is God Himself.

“and We” – both the Father and the Son; we not Him or Me but We including the Spirit. This is the Trinity.

“will come to him and make Our abode with him.” – wow, we become the temple of God; a brand new creation; born again. The salvation process had begun, is happening and shall happen too. By the Spirit, we house the very presence of the Most High.

Is that not amazing and a reason to be excited if there ever was one?

This is the Gospel of Christ, the 2nd Adam, you came to redeem mankind Himself and is still at work.

If you are unsure, grab a Bible or download one, and read it like your eternal life depends upon it…because it does. I suggest you start in the New Testament book of John.

Read, seek and pray.

Seek, pray and read.

Pray, read and seek.

Father, Son and Spirit.

Son, Spirit and Father.

Spirit, Father and Son.

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.

John 14:23

The Bible is like no other book and it’s all you need because it’s the Word.

FREEDOM in Jesus Christ alone – Galatians 3:21-22

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My Pondering

Today, Oct 14th, is Charlie’s birthday. I hope you get this as I am sure this would be a gift he would share with you. Freedom!

Charlie Kirk, who before his life was taken away that freedom comes first and foremost from Jesus Christ, and second from a country that promotes and creates laws that abide by the Judeo-Greek principles.

This is a freedom of choice not a freedom from responsibility.

Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.

— Galatians 3:21-22 NLT

Insight
Before faith in Christ delivered us, we were imprisoned by sin, beaten down by past mistakes, and choked by desires that we knew were wrong. God knew we were sin’s prisoners, but he provided a way of escape—faith in Jesus Christ


Challenge
Without Christ, everyone is held in sin’s grasp, and only those who place their faith in Christ ever get out of it. Look to Christ—he is reaching out to set you free.

© 2010 by Tyndale House Publishers

Jesus is Just and the Justifier

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He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

Romans 3:26

My hope lives not because I am not a sinner, but because I am a sinner for whom Christ died; my trust is not that I am holy, but that being unholy, He is my righteousness.

My faith rests not upon what I am, or shall be, or feel, or know, but in what Christ is, in what he has done, and in what he is now doing for me. On the lion of justice the fair maid of hope rides like a queen.

Charles Spurgeon

God is both perfectly just and the one who justifies sinners who believe in Christ.

Justification by faith brings peace with God—no more accusing conscience or fear of judgment, because Christ has fully paid the penalty for sin.

‘Just if I’ have never sinned.

God’s justice, once terrifying, becomes our confidence. Since He is truly just, He shall not demand two payments for the same debt. Since Jesus bore the punishment, believers cannot be punished again.

The believer’s hope is not based on their holiness or feelings, but entirely on Christ’s righteousness, death, and resurrection. Triumphant assurance: No one can bring a charge against God’s elect, because God has justified and Christ has died and risen.

Therefore, the Christian can live with bold confidence: even God’s justice, once our fear, now secures our salvation.

Without the protection of Jesus Christ, HIS IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS, it’s a scary thing to fall into the hands of a just sovereign truth all knowing righteous God when we inevitably pass away.

Since Jesus Christ died so that everyone might be saved (John 3:16) why not now, if not already, put your faith upon Him?

Going to church….

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My Pondering

Charlie Kirk suggested that people go to church which is not a new or novel idea but it’s a great one to remember and do so in his memory, if for nothing else.

This September 21 is National Back to Church day (3rd Sunday of September). You can check out the website here: https://backtochurch.com

I attend Harvest Church and I’d be happy to meet you there any Sunday

The devil believes in Jesus…

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My Pondering

It is one thing to know of Jesus Christ and perhaps even believe that He exists, which is a good start, but it’s far from a proper finish. As we read the Scriptures, in Jesus own words, we must accept Him as Lord, repent, and be born again, which is exchanging our old life for his new life; casting down our old man, the sinful one, while embracing the new man, though still trapped in the flesh, we are part of his son and thus born-again as we read in John 3:1-16.

I challenge you to look that passage up and seek. If you wholeheartedly seek, Jesus promised that you will find Him. He is much closer than you can imagine.

Hold Fast

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you
—unless you believed in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:1-2

Please ‘don’t believe in vain’ and ‘hold fast to the Word’.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain.

On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

Whether then it was I or they,
so we preach and so you believed.

1 Corinthians 15:10-11

I am what I am – God changes us and transforms us like no other yet we are created unique and possess the free will He bestowed upon each one of us. It is His mighty power but our individual choice. Macro vs Micro! Together is works and together we work mightily.

We are more sinful than we can imagine and more loved than that!

Paul worked hard!

He was an overcomer and steadfast yet it wasn’t by his own strength but he was powered upon high. Teamwork is dreamwork!

Preach >>> Believe … Believe >>> Preach

Don’t let the devil sneak and connive in your heart. He is crafty, cunning and clandestine. He uses, no abuses, elements of the truth for his nefariousness. But it’s not the whole truth, just pieces.

Stand firm on Chris’s solid ground. Amen? Amen!

Jesus paid it all. Triple AAA.

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Jesus paid your tab.

My Pondering

They question shouldn’t be why do bad things happen to good people but rather why do very good things happen to bad people?

Yes, Jesus paid it forward. He paid your tab and mine too. He paid it all. If you havent yet, ai highly suggest YOU do it now. Acknowledge your sin, Accept His payment up on the cross, and Actively engage in relationship with YOUR Creator, God and Lord = Triple A.

A – Acknowledge sin
A – Accept forgiveness
A – Active relationship

AAA begins and ends with God but it requires your repentance, faith and will.

Just do it!

The Love of God hymn

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1 The love of God is greater far
  Than tongue or pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star
  And reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
  God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled
  And pardoned from his sin.

O love of God, how rich and pure!
  How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
    The saints’ and angels’ song.

2 When hoary time shall pass away,
  And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall;
When men who here refuse to pray,
  On rocks and hills and mountains call;
God’s love, so sure, shall still endure,
  All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
  The saints’ and angels’ song.

3 Could we with ink the ocean fill,
  And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
  And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
  Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
  Though stretched from sky to sky.

Words & Music © 1923, Ren. 1951 by Hope Publishing Co., Carol Stream, IL 60188.

My Pondering

Oh, how mighty, majestic and meaningful is God’s love for us? It is everything, as He is everything good and pure.

Yes, I have many questions and challenges yet there is but one answer to them all – The Love of God.