February 14th 2021
Worshipping God Is Not Done To Gain Salvation, It Starts With Your Salvation!
John 3:2-3 (NIV)
Nicodemus came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no-one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no-one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
Mankind is being born into this mortal world, yet within each of us there is an immortal soul, which is the remnant of mankind as we were before sin entered this world. Is it not possible for mankind to worship God if they cannot perceive “the kingdom of God?” Before mankind can worship the One and only God, we must first be born again so we can comprehend the reality of a place called heaven! Jesus declared, “no-one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” No one born into this cursed world can understand God’s plan of salvation until they are born again, by accepting the salvation plan offered through the perfect sacrifice offered by Jesus Christ. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead offers this salvation from eternal damnation all mankind is destined for!
When Jesus still walked this earth as a man/God, He performed miracles, which no man had ever been able to do, but many of the people of that day that already believed they knew how salvation was being offered for them; could not, “see the kingdom of God.” Jesus tried to show them that He was their Messiah, but they could not comprehend this truth! The Jews gathered round him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no-one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no-one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one." (John 10:24-30).
Here Jesus is professing to be One with the Father, as He said, “I and the Father are one.” Jesus is professing here to be God the Son! The triune God has three persons in One God! Therefore, Jesus even when He walked this earth as a man, He was also God. This truth is impossible to totally understand, thus it must be believed by faith. In our earthly existence we may profess that “seeing is believing,” but through being born again we may come to know that “believing is seeing!” It is only through faith that we can, “see the kingdom of God.”
Jesus explained to His disciples, and us, why He came into this cursed world! For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." (John 3:17-21).
Jesus came into this world as the Savior for mankind by becoming the perfect sacrifice needed to pay for the release of mankind from the stain of the sinful nature placed on all descendants of Adam. Until our sinful nature is subdued, we cannot go to where God the Father resides. Through Jesus’ sacrifice, death, and resurrection we acquire our righteousness as believers, as Abraham did by his obedience to God. Paul wrote to the church in Rome and to us about this righteousness we inherit as followers of Jesus Christ. The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness— for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. (Romans 4:23-5:2).
While we still live in this cursed world, we are blessed with the ability to become members of the body of Christ and to serve Him through a church of our choice. The Holy Spirit gives us guidance to help us serve as members of the body of Christ while we are yet sinners. It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fulness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13). Are you offering your service as members of body of Christ?
If you study God’s Word and regularly attend a church of your choice, you will eventually be asked to serve in some way, but not by the church members, but I believe by Jesus. For your service will be needed by that part of the body of Christ. You need not prepare for service there, for Jesus will prepare you to serve Him there. Do not be confused by a fear of serving as the Holy Spirit will give you guidance if you allow Him. Paul also tells us how those serving will increase in their knowledge. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. (Ephesians 4:14).
Please pray for our country, as we see “the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.” It seems difficult to decern the truth from disagreement to outright lies in the political presentations as reported in these stressful days.
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
John 3:2-3 (NIV)
Nicodemus came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no-one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no-one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
Mankind is being born into this mortal world, yet within each of us there is an immortal soul, which is the remnant of mankind as we were before sin entered this world. Is it not possible for mankind to worship God if they cannot perceive “the kingdom of God?” Before mankind can worship the One and only God, we must first be born again so we can comprehend the reality of a place called heaven! Jesus declared, “no-one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” No one born into this cursed world can understand God’s plan of salvation until they are born again, by accepting the salvation plan offered through the perfect sacrifice offered by Jesus Christ. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead offers this salvation from eternal damnation all mankind is destined for!
When Jesus still walked this earth as a man/God, He performed miracles, which no man had ever been able to do, but many of the people of that day that already believed they knew how salvation was being offered for them; could not, “see the kingdom of God.” Jesus tried to show them that He was their Messiah, but they could not comprehend this truth! The Jews gathered round him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no-one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no-one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one." (John 10:24-30).
Here Jesus is professing to be One with the Father, as He said, “I and the Father are one.” Jesus is professing here to be God the Son! The triune God has three persons in One God! Therefore, Jesus even when He walked this earth as a man, He was also God. This truth is impossible to totally understand, thus it must be believed by faith. In our earthly existence we may profess that “seeing is believing,” but through being born again we may come to know that “believing is seeing!” It is only through faith that we can, “see the kingdom of God.”
Jesus explained to His disciples, and us, why He came into this cursed world! For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." (John 3:17-21).
Jesus came into this world as the Savior for mankind by becoming the perfect sacrifice needed to pay for the release of mankind from the stain of the sinful nature placed on all descendants of Adam. Until our sinful nature is subdued, we cannot go to where God the Father resides. Through Jesus’ sacrifice, death, and resurrection we acquire our righteousness as believers, as Abraham did by his obedience to God. Paul wrote to the church in Rome and to us about this righteousness we inherit as followers of Jesus Christ. The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness— for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. (Romans 4:23-5:2).
While we still live in this cursed world, we are blessed with the ability to become members of the body of Christ and to serve Him through a church of our choice. The Holy Spirit gives us guidance to help us serve as members of the body of Christ while we are yet sinners. It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fulness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13). Are you offering your service as members of body of Christ?
If you study God’s Word and regularly attend a church of your choice, you will eventually be asked to serve in some way, but not by the church members, but I believe by Jesus. For your service will be needed by that part of the body of Christ. You need not prepare for service there, for Jesus will prepare you to serve Him there. Do not be confused by a fear of serving as the Holy Spirit will give you guidance if you allow Him. Paul also tells us how those serving will increase in their knowledge. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. (Ephesians 4:14).
Please pray for our country, as we see “the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.” It seems difficult to decern the truth from disagreement to outright lies in the political presentations as reported in these stressful days.
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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