February 12th 2023
Salvation Would Be A Great St. Valentine’s Day Gift!
Ephesians 2:1-2 (NIV)
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
Worldly people includes everyone who has chosen not to follow Jesus Christ. The number of such people far out numbers the followers of Jesus Christ. Many of these people believe in a God or gods, but they do not profess to being a Christian. In this area of the world it seems to me the number of such people is growing, and thus, if correct the number of followers of Jesus Christ is decreasing! What do you think about this statement, do you agree with me, or not?
In the news every day we hear about people who look alike killing their brother or sister, and sometimes their gun fire also kills innocent children who were just in the wrong place at this wrong time. Then we hear about some person going to a busy workplace or store and shooting as many people as they can until they run out of ammo, or someone stops them some way. Often the shooter commits suicide to end the siege!
Hopefully, you did not decide to read this commentary to hear this everyday bad news. I know this is not the type of news I want to report, but it is the kind of news we get reported every day now in the wonderful world of news reporting. However, it seems to me we are seeing some positive news being reported too. There seems to be a positive trend taking shape to report the positive side of the news too. In the rest of this commentary that is what my hope is to present. However, it is also going to be lopsided like the worldly news, as it will try to report the positive effect of taking Jesus into your life! Have you accomplished that for yourself?
In the selected verses we read how we are if we have not allowed Jesus to take up residency in our heart. We are all born with a sinful nature inherited from the first parents, who sinned and brought death and suffering into this then perfect world. Since we all have this sinful nature, we cannot go to heaven when we die in this mortal cursed world! When you die, you will go to hell, and experience separation forever from God! The End!
Wait do not stop reading yet! All true followers of Jesus Christ will be saved from this second death and will thus end up in heaven with Jesus!
This coming week we will be celebrating love with other humans on St. Valentine’s Day. John wrote about the love he learned from Jesus. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16). Jesus Christ died on that cross because He loved us.
Your salvation was purchased by Jesus Christ through His perfect sacrifice on that cross and assured by His resurrection from the grave and ascension into heaven. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no-one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10). Your salvation is a gift you do not deserve and have not earned by being a good person. Your salvation was paid for by the love Jesus had for mankind.
“Once saved always saved” is a slogan some churches use to describe this permanent gift of salvation from God, because of Jesus’ earthly sacrifice. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17). Paul wrote about this gift of salvation. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15). As soon as you accepted this gift of salvation your immortal soul as saved and will never be turned back to being completely directed by your sinful nature.
In this week of celebration of earthly love, it seems good to share some thanksgiving thoughts from Paul about being thankful for God’s love for us. Thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. (Romans 6:17). Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. (Romans 7:25). Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57). Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. (2 Corinthians 2:14).
It is extremely important that you regularly attend a church of your choice so you can show your love for those in attendance! Who are there out of love for Jesus as they are the people of God who are in attendance! Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:16-17).
Remember, when you are in a worship service sinners surround you! However, Jesus promised He will also be there, where two or more gather in His Name. Remember too, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4). You are dead to this world but alive in Christ!
Are there people you love who do not attend a church of their choice? It makes a believer very sad to know their loved one(s) my go to hell when they die! Pray for them! And ask them to start coming to a church of their choice. Attendance will not save their immortal soul, but they may become convinced that Jesus was for real! He and only He is the Savior of this cursed world.
Salvation would be a great St. Valentine’s Day gift!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Ephesians 2:1-2 (NIV)
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
Worldly people includes everyone who has chosen not to follow Jesus Christ. The number of such people far out numbers the followers of Jesus Christ. Many of these people believe in a God or gods, but they do not profess to being a Christian. In this area of the world it seems to me the number of such people is growing, and thus, if correct the number of followers of Jesus Christ is decreasing! What do you think about this statement, do you agree with me, or not?
In the news every day we hear about people who look alike killing their brother or sister, and sometimes their gun fire also kills innocent children who were just in the wrong place at this wrong time. Then we hear about some person going to a busy workplace or store and shooting as many people as they can until they run out of ammo, or someone stops them some way. Often the shooter commits suicide to end the siege!
Hopefully, you did not decide to read this commentary to hear this everyday bad news. I know this is not the type of news I want to report, but it is the kind of news we get reported every day now in the wonderful world of news reporting. However, it seems to me we are seeing some positive news being reported too. There seems to be a positive trend taking shape to report the positive side of the news too. In the rest of this commentary that is what my hope is to present. However, it is also going to be lopsided like the worldly news, as it will try to report the positive effect of taking Jesus into your life! Have you accomplished that for yourself?
In the selected verses we read how we are if we have not allowed Jesus to take up residency in our heart. We are all born with a sinful nature inherited from the first parents, who sinned and brought death and suffering into this then perfect world. Since we all have this sinful nature, we cannot go to heaven when we die in this mortal cursed world! When you die, you will go to hell, and experience separation forever from God! The End!
Wait do not stop reading yet! All true followers of Jesus Christ will be saved from this second death and will thus end up in heaven with Jesus!
This coming week we will be celebrating love with other humans on St. Valentine’s Day. John wrote about the love he learned from Jesus. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16). Jesus Christ died on that cross because He loved us.
Your salvation was purchased by Jesus Christ through His perfect sacrifice on that cross and assured by His resurrection from the grave and ascension into heaven. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no-one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10). Your salvation is a gift you do not deserve and have not earned by being a good person. Your salvation was paid for by the love Jesus had for mankind.
“Once saved always saved” is a slogan some churches use to describe this permanent gift of salvation from God, because of Jesus’ earthly sacrifice. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17). Paul wrote about this gift of salvation. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15). As soon as you accepted this gift of salvation your immortal soul as saved and will never be turned back to being completely directed by your sinful nature.
In this week of celebration of earthly love, it seems good to share some thanksgiving thoughts from Paul about being thankful for God’s love for us. Thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. (Romans 6:17). Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. (Romans 7:25). Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57). Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. (2 Corinthians 2:14).
It is extremely important that you regularly attend a church of your choice so you can show your love for those in attendance! Who are there out of love for Jesus as they are the people of God who are in attendance! Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:16-17).
Remember, when you are in a worship service sinners surround you! However, Jesus promised He will also be there, where two or more gather in His Name. Remember too, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4). You are dead to this world but alive in Christ!
Are there people you love who do not attend a church of their choice? It makes a believer very sad to know their loved one(s) my go to hell when they die! Pray for them! And ask them to start coming to a church of their choice. Attendance will not save their immortal soul, but they may become convinced that Jesus was for real! He and only He is the Savior of this cursed world.
Salvation would be a great St. Valentine’s Day gift!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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