October 20th 2019
If You Believe Jesus, Then You Will Never Die!
John 11:25-26 (NIV)
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
If you believe that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, then you will be born twice and die once. If you do not believe Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, then you will be born once and die twice! In the selected verses Jesus is telling Martha the sister of His friend Lazarus that even though Lazarus has died to this life, he is not dead forever, as some would believe. Martha does believe that Lazarus will rise again, because she believes what Jesus said, “whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” After making this statement to her Jesus asks her, and us, a question “Do you believe this?" However, Martha also believes that Jesus can and will do something to bring her brother back to life now. If you know the rest of this story, then you know Jesus does bring Lazarus back to life in this world, temporarily, as eventually he will die again in the world. With modern technology it is possible to be resuscitated and brought back to life temporarily! Someone reading this may have had that done for them.
All of us were born into this world with an immortal soul, which separates us from the animals as they do not have an immortal soul. Evolution has no answer for how and when your immortal soul evolved! The Bible tells us that Adam and Eve were created with immortal souls, and that when they brought sin into this world a curse was levied on the world, which brought about the first, or mortal death, upon all of mankind. Animals never had immortality as part of their creation, so the curse did not change them, in relation to their lifespans. Everything was affected by the curse, but mankind was the most affected, as we were to blame for the Fall on Mankind! At the end of this lifetime each of us will die, and if you have claimed Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then your immortal soul will continue to live, and you will be escorted by Jesus to meet your heavenly Father in heaven. If, however, you did not claim salvation through Jesus Christ, then your immortal soul faces the second death, and it will go to suffer in hell.
Salvation is claimed through faith in Jesus Christ! We place our hope in Jesus Christ only and depend on what Jesus did in our stead so that even though we are sinners we can be saved, because our salvation is not dependent on what we do, but instead it is based on what Jesus did. The writer of Hebrews tries to explain this faith we have and how we place our hope or trust in Jesus for our guarantee of salvation. Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. Hebrews 11:1, 3). This belief or faith also allows us to believe that Jesus Christ was the Creator who set in motion this entire universe, and created mankind to give Him the glory, and thus worship only Him. Jesus maintains this universe in an orderly fashion, thus there can be so called, laws of nature. If this universe evolved then there would be no order, and thus, there could be no order, as can be plainly seen in this world.
When Jesus still walked this earth as the God/son of man, He often referred to this amazing thing Jesus called faith. A blind man once called out to Jesus, and people tried to be quiet, but he could not do it. Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Mark 10:48). Finally, Jesus asked him to come and talk to Him. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. (Mark 10:51-52). Many times, when Jesus healed someone He would say "your faith has healed you." Think about this comment that Jesus often used when He healed someone, because they came to Him expecting healing. Jesus healed their physical problem, because they believed He could heal them. More importantly apply this same thought process to gaining your salvation, you MUST believe Jesus can heal your immortal soul, thus allowing you to enter heaven when you leave this lifetime! In the Gospels this term is used several times when he healed someone of a physical defect. Jesus also used a similar term to a woman about her salvation. Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." (Luke 7:50).
Jesus desires for us to have a childlike acceptance of what he has tried to teach all members of mankind. We must believe despite what many people may tell us about our belief in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Even when we do not have good answers for questions unbeliever may ask, we must continue to believe through our faith in salvation through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19:14). Is your faith strong or is it more childlike? Your strength needs to come from the support of the Holy Spirit, and you being receptive to a need for the support of this Spirit! You need to believe that Jesus did leave this Holy Spirit behind on this earth, when He went back to heaven, after rising from the dead. The Spirit is available to all members of mankind who have claimed salvation through Jesus Christ. Every member of mankind knows about God, but only those who believe in Jesus Christ will be saved!
Paul wrote for the church in Rome, and us, about this sinful nature we all possess, which causes us to sin, but can be controlled through faith in Jesus Christ, with the help of the Holy Spirit. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. (Romans 8:3-6).
You can only please God if your mind is not controlled by your sinful nature. However, “the mind controlled by the Spirit (has) life and peace.” And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7). Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." (Luke 7:50). Only your faith in Jesus can save you!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
John 11:25-26 (NIV)
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
If you believe that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, then you will be born twice and die once. If you do not believe Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, then you will be born once and die twice! In the selected verses Jesus is telling Martha the sister of His friend Lazarus that even though Lazarus has died to this life, he is not dead forever, as some would believe. Martha does believe that Lazarus will rise again, because she believes what Jesus said, “whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” After making this statement to her Jesus asks her, and us, a question “Do you believe this?" However, Martha also believes that Jesus can and will do something to bring her brother back to life now. If you know the rest of this story, then you know Jesus does bring Lazarus back to life in this world, temporarily, as eventually he will die again in the world. With modern technology it is possible to be resuscitated and brought back to life temporarily! Someone reading this may have had that done for them.
All of us were born into this world with an immortal soul, which separates us from the animals as they do not have an immortal soul. Evolution has no answer for how and when your immortal soul evolved! The Bible tells us that Adam and Eve were created with immortal souls, and that when they brought sin into this world a curse was levied on the world, which brought about the first, or mortal death, upon all of mankind. Animals never had immortality as part of their creation, so the curse did not change them, in relation to their lifespans. Everything was affected by the curse, but mankind was the most affected, as we were to blame for the Fall on Mankind! At the end of this lifetime each of us will die, and if you have claimed Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then your immortal soul will continue to live, and you will be escorted by Jesus to meet your heavenly Father in heaven. If, however, you did not claim salvation through Jesus Christ, then your immortal soul faces the second death, and it will go to suffer in hell.
Salvation is claimed through faith in Jesus Christ! We place our hope in Jesus Christ only and depend on what Jesus did in our stead so that even though we are sinners we can be saved, because our salvation is not dependent on what we do, but instead it is based on what Jesus did. The writer of Hebrews tries to explain this faith we have and how we place our hope or trust in Jesus for our guarantee of salvation. Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. Hebrews 11:1, 3). This belief or faith also allows us to believe that Jesus Christ was the Creator who set in motion this entire universe, and created mankind to give Him the glory, and thus worship only Him. Jesus maintains this universe in an orderly fashion, thus there can be so called, laws of nature. If this universe evolved then there would be no order, and thus, there could be no order, as can be plainly seen in this world.
When Jesus still walked this earth as the God/son of man, He often referred to this amazing thing Jesus called faith. A blind man once called out to Jesus, and people tried to be quiet, but he could not do it. Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Mark 10:48). Finally, Jesus asked him to come and talk to Him. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. (Mark 10:51-52). Many times, when Jesus healed someone He would say "your faith has healed you." Think about this comment that Jesus often used when He healed someone, because they came to Him expecting healing. Jesus healed their physical problem, because they believed He could heal them. More importantly apply this same thought process to gaining your salvation, you MUST believe Jesus can heal your immortal soul, thus allowing you to enter heaven when you leave this lifetime! In the Gospels this term is used several times when he healed someone of a physical defect. Jesus also used a similar term to a woman about her salvation. Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." (Luke 7:50).
Jesus desires for us to have a childlike acceptance of what he has tried to teach all members of mankind. We must believe despite what many people may tell us about our belief in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Even when we do not have good answers for questions unbeliever may ask, we must continue to believe through our faith in salvation through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19:14). Is your faith strong or is it more childlike? Your strength needs to come from the support of the Holy Spirit, and you being receptive to a need for the support of this Spirit! You need to believe that Jesus did leave this Holy Spirit behind on this earth, when He went back to heaven, after rising from the dead. The Spirit is available to all members of mankind who have claimed salvation through Jesus Christ. Every member of mankind knows about God, but only those who believe in Jesus Christ will be saved!
Paul wrote for the church in Rome, and us, about this sinful nature we all possess, which causes us to sin, but can be controlled through faith in Jesus Christ, with the help of the Holy Spirit. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. (Romans 8:3-6).
You can only please God if your mind is not controlled by your sinful nature. However, “the mind controlled by the Spirit (has) life and peace.” And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7). Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." (Luke 7:50). Only your faith in Jesus can save you!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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