May 22nd 2022
If You Confess With Your Mouth, "Jesus Is Lord," And Believe In Your Heart That God Raised Him From The Dead, You Will Be Saved!
John 16:7 (NIV)
I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
In the selected verse, Jesus is telling His disciples about the Holy Spirit, AKA the Counsellor, who will remain on this earth to indwell believers, and to offer guidance enabling them (us) to understand and profess the wonderful plans for us that Jesus has established through His perfect sacrifice and resurrection from the dead. Since Jesus came into this world mankind’s connection to God has changed. Now we no longer need to offer sacrifices to obtain forgiveness for our sins. Jesus has paid the penalty for our sins, and we now MUST depend on our faith to guide our lives toward the perfection to imitate Him and strive to remain sinless in this cursed world.
Most of the people in this world today do not believe Jesus Christ is the only Way available for salvation of their immortal soul! Following is the selected verse given in context. "Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. (John 16:5-11).
The Holy Spirit now offers guidance and protection for everyone who chooses to follow Jesus Christ! Jesus’ followers are commissioned to spread the Good News to anyone who will listen to this life saving message. Matthew wrote what Jesus said before He left this earth to return to His (our) Father in heaven. Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:16-20).
Jesus is not yet ruling this earth, and obviously Satan and his demons are still active on this earth trying to confuse mankind into seeking salvation from a religion that some human being or Satan started, which will lead them not to heaven but instead to hell. Therefore, Jesus left the Holy Spirit available to all believers while He is temporarily away from this world. As Jesus has said, “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:25-26). We need to believe that this Holy Spirit is available to us and be receptive to His guidance in our daily lives.
In this world today we see the evidence of the evil that seems to be growing, as more people are being manipulated by demonic beings, because they are relying on these spirits without even knowing it. When someone goes to some crowed place and starts shooting people randomly, we can witness the obvious hatred within them, which is inspired by some evil prompting. In such cases the weapon does not kill people unless the bearer is experienced on using it and is intent on murdering other people that they do not even know! When Jesus still walked this earth, many people believed that demons sometimes possessed men and caused them to do terrible things. Here is one such report that Matthew recorded for us. When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. (Matthew 8:16). It seems interesting to me that there are twenty-four verses that contain references to men being demon possessed in the New Testament (NIV).
It seems apparent that if everyone on this earth today were followers of Jesus Christ this world would be a wonderful place to reside. However, there are more people who do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world than do believe it. We have not done a very good job of telling others about Jesus and who He is.
Paul wrote his perspective on how people in his time on this earth choose to suppress the truth of God, so that they can live however they like and feel okay about themselves. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is for ever praised. Amen. (Romans 1:17-25).
Many people choose to suppress the truth that God makes known to them, so they can live however they choose, and they feel free to live by their rules not by the rules God has ordained! This leads to chaos and unruly mobs trying to gain approval from the majority that is in power.
This is not the type of commentary that I prefer to write, as it is not giving a very encouraging message, but my view of the world today is not striking me in a positive way. I will however end on a positive note, as it is still possible for anyone to claim their salvation by merely believing that Jesus Christ is the Savior of this cursed world! As Paul has written, “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10).
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
John 16:7 (NIV)
I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
In the selected verse, Jesus is telling His disciples about the Holy Spirit, AKA the Counsellor, who will remain on this earth to indwell believers, and to offer guidance enabling them (us) to understand and profess the wonderful plans for us that Jesus has established through His perfect sacrifice and resurrection from the dead. Since Jesus came into this world mankind’s connection to God has changed. Now we no longer need to offer sacrifices to obtain forgiveness for our sins. Jesus has paid the penalty for our sins, and we now MUST depend on our faith to guide our lives toward the perfection to imitate Him and strive to remain sinless in this cursed world.
Most of the people in this world today do not believe Jesus Christ is the only Way available for salvation of their immortal soul! Following is the selected verse given in context. "Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. (John 16:5-11).
The Holy Spirit now offers guidance and protection for everyone who chooses to follow Jesus Christ! Jesus’ followers are commissioned to spread the Good News to anyone who will listen to this life saving message. Matthew wrote what Jesus said before He left this earth to return to His (our) Father in heaven. Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:16-20).
Jesus is not yet ruling this earth, and obviously Satan and his demons are still active on this earth trying to confuse mankind into seeking salvation from a religion that some human being or Satan started, which will lead them not to heaven but instead to hell. Therefore, Jesus left the Holy Spirit available to all believers while He is temporarily away from this world. As Jesus has said, “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:25-26). We need to believe that this Holy Spirit is available to us and be receptive to His guidance in our daily lives.
In this world today we see the evidence of the evil that seems to be growing, as more people are being manipulated by demonic beings, because they are relying on these spirits without even knowing it. When someone goes to some crowed place and starts shooting people randomly, we can witness the obvious hatred within them, which is inspired by some evil prompting. In such cases the weapon does not kill people unless the bearer is experienced on using it and is intent on murdering other people that they do not even know! When Jesus still walked this earth, many people believed that demons sometimes possessed men and caused them to do terrible things. Here is one such report that Matthew recorded for us. When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. (Matthew 8:16). It seems interesting to me that there are twenty-four verses that contain references to men being demon possessed in the New Testament (NIV).
It seems apparent that if everyone on this earth today were followers of Jesus Christ this world would be a wonderful place to reside. However, there are more people who do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world than do believe it. We have not done a very good job of telling others about Jesus and who He is.
Paul wrote his perspective on how people in his time on this earth choose to suppress the truth of God, so that they can live however they like and feel okay about themselves. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is for ever praised. Amen. (Romans 1:17-25).
Many people choose to suppress the truth that God makes known to them, so they can live however they choose, and they feel free to live by their rules not by the rules God has ordained! This leads to chaos and unruly mobs trying to gain approval from the majority that is in power.
This is not the type of commentary that I prefer to write, as it is not giving a very encouraging message, but my view of the world today is not striking me in a positive way. I will however end on a positive note, as it is still possible for anyone to claim their salvation by merely believing that Jesus Christ is the Savior of this cursed world! As Paul has written, “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10).
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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