April 7th 2019
During This Lenten Season, Who Can You Tell About Jesus?
Romans 8:34 (NIV)
Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Jesus Christ died as the perfect sacrifice needed for God to forgive the sinful nature each member of mankind inherits from the sin Adam committed in the Garden of Eden. When anyone accepts this sacrifice their sinful nature is covered over, so that God the Father will no longer see it. This means that such a person is now allowed to enter heaven when they die to this mortal life. There is no other way by which our immortal soul will be allowed to enter the kingdom of God. When you accept this pardon for your sinful nature you appear to God as though your immortal soul has no remembrance of the stain of sinfulness. As Paul wrote, about Jesus representing you to His Father in heaven as Jesus, “is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Did you get that, Jesus “is also interceding for (you) us?”
Therefore, Jesus is condemning everyone until they accept Him as their Lord and Savior. As Paul writes for our understanding, “Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died?” So, by the death of Jesus all men are condemned to go to hell when they die, UNTIL they accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior! There is no other way to avoid going to hell when you die, but to accept the perfect sacrifice of Jesus dying for your sins! Jesus made this only option for salvation very plain. Jesus said to Thomas, and to all who are willing to listen, You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:4-6). Jesus said, “No-one comes to the Father except through me.” In case you missed it, Jesus said “No-one!” If anyone goes to heaven when they die it is because Jesus perfect sacrifice allows it!
When anyone accepts Jesus Christ into their life, as Paul wrote we become a new creation, we are immediately changed from a person going to hell into a soul going to heaven. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17). Your outlook on life is immediately changed, as you no longer need to worry about what will happen to you when you die, because you now KNOW your immortal soul is headed to heaven. When Jesus still walked on this earth, He prayed for all who would accept His offer of salvation. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. (John 17:9).
Jesus also prayed for all those who would accept His offer of salvation after He returned to heaven. My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:20-21). Jesus was now praying for all those people His followers would influence to accept His salvation offer. Are you telling other members of mankind about Jesus’ offer of salvation? If not, we are allowing then to go to hell when they die! We are not responsible for their salvation, we are only commanded to tell them what having Jesus in your life has done for you! We are building up to Jesus’ resurrection during this Lenten season, and it seems appropriate that we could increase our courage so we could tell the accounts of Jesus life as the God/man who came to this earth to offer salvation to all who would accept His offer! During this Lenten season, who can you tell about Jesus?
Paul gives us encouragement about our reliance on God to help us in this world. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32). God has a plan that depends on us, the followers of Jesus Christ who are expected to be a form of Jesus on this earth until Jesus returns to the earth, as the religious and world leader! Until His second coming His followers must spread the Word about His offer of salvation. When Jesus walked this earth, He healed the sick, and fed the spirits of all those He encountered, and sometimes He fed multitudes with blessed food. We may not be able to do all the things He did, and we may not be able to heal the sick! However, we are expected to help feed those who are hungry for His Word!
In this world today it seems there is a real lack of a loving attitude, there seems to be many factions that speak out against other groups, and often seem to have little knowledge of the group they are opposing. As aspiring followers of Jesus, we need to try our best to offer our opinion and real help, out of love, not just being critical. Paul wrote about this loving Godly attitude for us to try and simulate. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:1, 4-8 a)
Notice what Paul emphasizes here is to offer help always through a loving attitude, else we become a noisy disruption not offering real help. Then Paul also wrote about our good and loving attitude toward other believers, maybe best offered to others who attend the church of our choice, but not just limited to them. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3:12-14). If you find a perfect church, please do not join it, as it will no longer be perfect! All of us are sinners, and thus, should not expect to be part of a perfect church on this earth!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Romans 8:34 (NIV)
Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Jesus Christ died as the perfect sacrifice needed for God to forgive the sinful nature each member of mankind inherits from the sin Adam committed in the Garden of Eden. When anyone accepts this sacrifice their sinful nature is covered over, so that God the Father will no longer see it. This means that such a person is now allowed to enter heaven when they die to this mortal life. There is no other way by which our immortal soul will be allowed to enter the kingdom of God. When you accept this pardon for your sinful nature you appear to God as though your immortal soul has no remembrance of the stain of sinfulness. As Paul wrote, about Jesus representing you to His Father in heaven as Jesus, “is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Did you get that, Jesus “is also interceding for (you) us?”
Therefore, Jesus is condemning everyone until they accept Him as their Lord and Savior. As Paul writes for our understanding, “Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died?” So, by the death of Jesus all men are condemned to go to hell when they die, UNTIL they accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior! There is no other way to avoid going to hell when you die, but to accept the perfect sacrifice of Jesus dying for your sins! Jesus made this only option for salvation very plain. Jesus said to Thomas, and to all who are willing to listen, You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:4-6). Jesus said, “No-one comes to the Father except through me.” In case you missed it, Jesus said “No-one!” If anyone goes to heaven when they die it is because Jesus perfect sacrifice allows it!
When anyone accepts Jesus Christ into their life, as Paul wrote we become a new creation, we are immediately changed from a person going to hell into a soul going to heaven. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17). Your outlook on life is immediately changed, as you no longer need to worry about what will happen to you when you die, because you now KNOW your immortal soul is headed to heaven. When Jesus still walked on this earth, He prayed for all who would accept His offer of salvation. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. (John 17:9).
Jesus also prayed for all those who would accept His offer of salvation after He returned to heaven. My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:20-21). Jesus was now praying for all those people His followers would influence to accept His salvation offer. Are you telling other members of mankind about Jesus’ offer of salvation? If not, we are allowing then to go to hell when they die! We are not responsible for their salvation, we are only commanded to tell them what having Jesus in your life has done for you! We are building up to Jesus’ resurrection during this Lenten season, and it seems appropriate that we could increase our courage so we could tell the accounts of Jesus life as the God/man who came to this earth to offer salvation to all who would accept His offer! During this Lenten season, who can you tell about Jesus?
Paul gives us encouragement about our reliance on God to help us in this world. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32). God has a plan that depends on us, the followers of Jesus Christ who are expected to be a form of Jesus on this earth until Jesus returns to the earth, as the religious and world leader! Until His second coming His followers must spread the Word about His offer of salvation. When Jesus walked this earth, He healed the sick, and fed the spirits of all those He encountered, and sometimes He fed multitudes with blessed food. We may not be able to do all the things He did, and we may not be able to heal the sick! However, we are expected to help feed those who are hungry for His Word!
In this world today it seems there is a real lack of a loving attitude, there seems to be many factions that speak out against other groups, and often seem to have little knowledge of the group they are opposing. As aspiring followers of Jesus, we need to try our best to offer our opinion and real help, out of love, not just being critical. Paul wrote about this loving Godly attitude for us to try and simulate. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:1, 4-8 a)
Notice what Paul emphasizes here is to offer help always through a loving attitude, else we become a noisy disruption not offering real help. Then Paul also wrote about our good and loving attitude toward other believers, maybe best offered to others who attend the church of our choice, but not just limited to them. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3:12-14). If you find a perfect church, please do not join it, as it will no longer be perfect! All of us are sinners, and thus, should not expect to be part of a perfect church on this earth!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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