fencepostdigest

“Better a day in Your courts than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather be at the door of the house of my God than to live in the tents of wicked people. For the Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord gives grace and glory; He does not withhold the good from those who live with integrity. Happy is the person who trusts in You, Lord of Hosts!” Psalm 84:10-12 HCSB.

Being happy in this life can only be achieved through the righteousness of 

God’s grace. Understood, there are countless numbers of people who do not know Creator God by faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, and these will contend with this thought because their happiness is temporal and secular. The happiness found in Christ is eternal. There IS a vast difference.

This happiness comes by His eternal gift of grace and glory AND it is not withheld from those who love him and are able to live with integrity because of the presence of His Spirit in their lives. “ Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. We who know Christ simply do not simply know Him, we are His possession, bought with a terrible price on a Roman cross of execution. The reality is that He was not executed for a crime committed, but rather He freely became a blood sacrifice for the sins of those who chose and will choose to believe and follow Him by grace through faith in Him alone. This happiness finds root in Him and nothing more.

For those who live outside of His grace do not know Him and cannot know this peace and happiness that surpasses our ability to understand, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7 Philippians 4:4-7.

Jesus is Lord.

 “The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: 2 For learning what wisdom and discipline are; for understanding insightful sayings; 3 for receiving wise instruction in righteousness, justice, and integrity; 4 for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced, knowledge and discretion to a young man — 5 a wise man will listen and increase his learning, and a discerning man will obtain guidance — 6 for understanding a proverb or a parable, the words of the wise, and their riddles. 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Proverbs 1:1-7 HCSB.

We preachers have always encouraged our listeners to read and study God’s Word, AND most likely each of us has provided many, many reasons as to ‘the why’ of doing so. Of course, the very best reason(s) is found within the pages of Holy Writ. I suppose the very best reason is found in 2 Timothy 3:13-17, “Evil people and impostors will become worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, and you know that from childhood you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

However, I also like what Solomon writes in verse 7 of the first Proverb, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Look around and anyone can immediately see the fools in our world, their foolishness, and their undisciplined lifestyles. This does not mean you and I miss out on our own craziness occasionally, but this is not our way of life because Jesus is our Supreme Guide in all that we do for He tells us, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you know Me, you will also know My Father. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.” John 14:6-7.

The purposes God has given for us to read and study are bountiful and are His way of communicating with us; apart from prayer. We must not neglect His Word, “But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror.  For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but one who does good works—this person will be blessed in what he does.” James 1:22-25. Of course, there are many verses you and I can use to focus on the importance of reading, studying, and applying His written text.

Jesus is Lord.

Decisions Follow Us

You and I make decisions affecting the next moment of life every day. We cannot escape decision-making and these critical moments reveal to the world around us who and Whose we are. 

The Apostle Peter reflects this. Peter was most compulsive, telling us his desire to please the Lord and the people around him. He jumped into the waves because he wanted to demonstrate his personal desire to follow Christ, but he denied the Lord three times for fear of being considered among those who were following Christ. Far too often we are quite critical of this man, but we are just as he was. Sometimes our well-meaning choices tell us who and Whose we are. Both of Peter’s choices in this example demonstrate this fisherman was committed to Jesus and belonged to Him as well. 

Solomon writes this truth, “A person will be satisfied with good from the fruit of his words, and the work of his hands will be rendered to him. The way of a fool is right in his own opinion, but the one who listens to advice is wise.” Proverbs 12:4-5 NET2. We will be content with what our reactions because most of us will ‘stand by what we have said,’ come Hell or high water.’ This is so because of our selfish pride and we cannot escape the words we speak nor the actions we take as a result. However, our opinions are what they are; free and of no expense to another, until we act upon those opinions. There is a very important note we must not overlook, “the one who listens to advice is wise.” Our counselors are important to us, especially the advice coming from those who have decades of life experiences under their belts. Be careful to whom you listen, but those who have been around for a while are able to tell us much…whether we agree or not.

Reading the stories about the lives of King Saul and King David will tell us a great deal about wisdom and following the advice of those around us. Saul proved to be a miserable fool and Samuel said to him, “Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as he does in obedience? Certainly, obedience is better than sacrifice; paying attention is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and presumption is like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the Lord’s orders, he has rejected you from being king.” Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have disobeyed what the Lord commanded and your words as well. For I was afraid of the army, and I obeyed their voice. Now please forgive my sin. Go back with me so I can worship the Lord.”1 Samuel 15:22-25. We must be attentive to the direction of God and follow His advice.

David, even though his actions proved to be fatal because of poor decisions, we know he was completely committed to following His God. Even though his sin with Bathsheba followed him for many years, David never stopped following and worshiping God. Psalm 32 most likely was written by David as wasPsalm 51. In 51:10-12 we find these words of wisdom, “Create for me a pure heart, O God. Renew a resolute spirit within me. Do not reject me. Do not take your Holy Spirit away from me. Let me again experience the joy of your deliverance. Sustain me by giving me the desire to obey.”

We must understand our righteousness is not the result of our actions. Our righteousness is the result of our love for and submission to God. We who claim to follow Christ must never stop serving and worshiping Him. Indeed, we cannot because we belong to Him, we are His possession. “ What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is the one who will condemn? Christ is the one who died (and more than that, he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we encounter death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:31-39.

Reading about David’s life demonstrates why he was called a man after God’s own heart, but also reveals us as being Followers of Christ who are also after God’s own heart.

Jesus is Lord.

The call of God is always very clear and distinct to an individual, and with His purpose, always. The Creator of this universe has had something in play for you from before the moment of birth. 

Look intently at these words spoken to Jeremiah, “he word of the Lord came to me: I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:4-5 HCSB. This statement of hope and direction was specifically written to you and to me, even the idea of being a prophet, one who proclaims the Good News of God to a broken world. Yes, we ARE to be prophets for Jesus instructed us, “Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20. These directives are meant for everyone claiming the Name of Jesus as Savior and Lord. We cannot escape this directive.

Every person whose life belongs to His is empowered by His Spirit to fulfill this plan of action, and He has equipped us with the spiritual gifts, hearts, abilities, personalities, and experiences to accomplish your purpose, His plans for your life. WE must set aside time and effort in order to discover these purposes, based on how God shaped our being. Our time and life belong to HIm in order to accomplish His purposes.

Because you are a child of the King, He will call and instruct you for His purposes planned for you and His voice can be heard, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: Who should I send?  Who will go for Us? I said: Here I am. Send me.” Isaiah 6:8. No, His voice is wee and small nor quiet, God’s voice is clear and distinct from every other sound you will hear. When He calls, listen and go where He sends. Remember, God planned your life to accomplish His purpose before you were created in yur mother/s womb.

Jesus is Lord.

On November 8, 2021, my life was rudely interrupted by death, but God immediately intervened to not simply be in my presence. God has always been present and surrounding me with His dynamic grace, power, and guidance. Yes, He has been my Friend, but mostly He has been my Savior….through it all. My life has not simply moved ‘on,’ my life has moved ‘forward’ at an incredibly rapid motion.

A few days shy of four weeks after the funeral of my best friend and wife of more than 50 years, Sharon literally stepped into my life and me into hers. I have spoken of this many times and there may be multiple scores of people who do not understand what God has done and continues to do in our lives. This is truly an unmistakable time of His grace in our journey.

Moving on is unmistakably a wrong application of what has happened. I and Sharon have moved forward. Moving on simply is going from one place to another, but under a shadow or in a storm. Moving forward is perpetually making progress from a very dark place and into the light of God’s grace on a daily basis. Jesus told His disciples that He was about to leave their physical presence, changing locations as it were, in order to prepare a place for each of them. He Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in me. There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going away to make ready a place for you.  And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be too. And you know the way where I am going.” John 14:1-4 NET2.

This is the course of action that I have chosen because God has prepared the journey. Jesus does not leave us alone and without purpose for our lives. Our journey is always with a purpose because He has planned it so. Reading from God’s Word we can easily see the progression of human history as ‘moving ‘forward.’ And God has always been in the forefront of every moment in time. Adam and Eve were attempting to hide from HIm, but His voice rang out, “hen the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God moving about in the orchard at the breezy time of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the orchard. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:8-9. And it is interesting to note that the man and woman felt they could somehow keep HIm from finding them…in HIS garden. They could not because of who He is. HE knew where they were and where you and I are. God tells us, For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.  When you call out to me and come to me in prayer, I will hear your prayers.  When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul,  I will make myself available to you,’ says the Lord.” Jeremiah 29:11-14. Furthermore, He encourages us like this, ” Don’t be afraid, for I am with you! Don’t be frightened, for I am your God! I strengthen you— yes, I help you— yes, I uphold you with my victorious right hand! Look, all who were angry at you will be ashamed and humiliated; your adversaries will be reduced to nothing and perish. When you will look for your opponents, you will not find them; your enemies will be reduced to absolutely nothing. For I am the Lord your God, the one who takes hold of your right hand, who says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, I am helping you.’ Isaiah 41:10-14.

No, depending upon myself is not and has never been the solution to my problems. Only God has the solutions to your problems, too. Certainly, there are some who choose to ignore the promised pathways God has given to us in HIs Word, but these promises are powerful directions for us just as they were for those who first heard them. I have had no answers, no solutions for any issues of difficulty over the course of my life, but God has always been faithful in every situation. However, there have been some times when I have chosen to ignore His directions and I have failed. And the moment I have returned to what I knew was His instruction I found joy and peace because of Him alone. and you will,too.

Jesus is Lord.

Sometimes there are no answers to the difficult questions such as yours, “I just believe that there are two sides to every story, yet society picks and chooses who it condemns. I don’t understand why God would let that happen.” Neither do I.

You write, “I just believe…” You have the answer, really. Now, you must learn to live with what you have said. “I believe,” or do you? The word ‘believe’ is the word we also utilize for ‘faith.’ When we ‘believe’ something we are actually saying ‘I have faith.’ Let us begin there.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see. 2 For by it the people of old received God’s commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were set in order at God’s command, so that the visible has its origin in the invisible. 4 By faith Abel offered God a greater sacrifice than Cain, and through his faith he was commended as righteous because God commended him for his offerings. And through his faith he still speaks, though he is dead.” HCSB. Someone paraphrased verses one and two like this, “Faith is acting as if it is so in order for it to be so because with God it already is so.” In other words, we must, we must trust God for the outcome no matter how difficult that may be.

We must accept the fact that, “In the beginning, God created…” Genesis 1:1. And early on He took one of Adam’s ribs and created the first woman, Eve. Together they chose to ruin God’s perfect garden paradise He had created for them. “ Now the serpent was shrewder than any of the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Is it really true that God said, ‘You must not eat from any tree of the orchard’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit from the trees of the orchard; 3 but concerning the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the orchard God said, ‘You must not eat from it, and you must not touch it, or else you will die.’” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “Surely you will not die, 5 for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 1:1-4. The really ‘big lie’ was introduced to them by Satan and, “When the woman saw that the tree produced fruit that was good for food, was attractive to the eye, and was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate it. She also gave some of it to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” Genesis 2:6-7.

All sorts of good and evil have been done by the billions and billions of people who have gone before us and this continues to be the fact today. Personally, I am thankful God did not leave His perfect world alone for only Adam and Eve would be alive at this moment. However, God gave them a choice and because of that you and I are. What we do with our reality is a choice to be made by us. Good or bad, the results belong to us and He will judge us accordingly.

I have been around for a mere 72+ years and I want to share briefly some things that have occurred to some people I have known:

1. A sixteen year old cousin was killed in a terrible head on car wreck. The driver of the other vehicle crossed the centerline. I was 5 years old.
2. A 21-year-old friend was killed in VietNam with only 85 days left before returning to the States. He wrote in a letter to his parents, “God has called me to be a missionary to the Vietnamese.” Well, we do not know the rest of his story of ‘what might have been,’ do we?
3. We were missionaries to Peru and during that time one of our missionaries boarded a Peruvian jet for Arequipa. The plane crashed into the side of a mountain and Lynn did not make it home to her children and husband.
4. Another Peruvian friend lived in the mountains and some terrorists came to his village. These horrible people killed everyone except for Victor and his little sister who had hidden under their bed.
5. My 47-year-old nephew was hit by a car when he was only 18 months old. Today he is a quadraplegic, but his mother and father have tended to his needs for all these years. They have never stopped trusting the God Who is Creator
6. My wife is suffering with incurable cancer and for 5 years she has fought this disease ravaging her body, but her faith remains in the One Who has allowed this. We have no answers.

But, please rest assured,

He’s Everything to Me

By Ralph Carmichael

“In the stars His handiwork I see,

On the wind He speaks with majesty,

Though He ruleth over land and sea,

What is that to me?

I will celebrate Nativity,

For it has a place in history,

Sure, He came to set His people free,

What is that to me?

Till by faith I met Him face to face,

And I felt the wonder of His grace,

Then I knew that He was more than just a

God who didn’t care,

That lived a way out there and

Now He walks beside me day by day,

Ever watching o’er me lest I stray,

Helping me to find that narrow way,

He’s Everything to me.”

God has made a provision for everyone to come to Him by faith. Never in the Bible do we find this Creator cowering in a corner because His Created has messed things up. We only question Him, but the reality is, WE DID THIS to His garden. Yes, He allowed us to do some really horrible things. But the reality is also this: “For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 18 The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.” John 3:16-18.

I fully understand your frustration because I have my own issues for the things we have done and do. The statements I make here will not give you a solution, I know. However, God does give us the only solution coming by faith in Him and His Son Jesus Christ.

Have a blessed day for Jesus is Lord.

“If God is all-knowing, then why would He create someone like a dangerous psychopath, for example, whom He knows is going to be very destructive and hurt/traumatize many people? Wouldn’t it be better if that person had never been born? If they’d never been born, there never would have been any victims of theirs. And if everyone has a purpose, what is that destructive person’s purpose? Even if their purpose is to teach something to someone else, then isn’t it still unfair to the victims, who otherwise would have had nothing to do with that person? And wouldn’t it have even been better for the psychopath, as well, if they’d never been born, since most of them (the violent/destructive ones, at least) probably will not make it into Heaven?”

Your question is valid and has been repeated, and continues to be repeated with regularity every day. The ‘pat’ answer is, “Sin is the answer.” However, there is a much better answer found in Scripture. Actually, the answer concerns God at every level of our simple ability to understand HIm. The answer is NOT about us, but about Him alone. For this reason we must begin with His Word.

“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful But all did not obey the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message? So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ. But I ask, “Did they not hear?” Yes, they did: Their voice has gone out to all the earth,and their words to the ends of the inhabited world.” Romans 10:13-18 HCSB.

The answer to your question is found in the Gospel Message and can only be heard by those who make the proclamation of the same. The basis of your question is, “And if everyone has a purpose, what is that destructive person’s purpose?” The purpose for every person is found in the heart of God, “Dear friends, don’t let this one thing escape you: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance. But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness as you wait for and earnestly desire the coming of the day of God. The heavens will be on fire and be dissolved because of it, and the elements will melt with the heat. But based on His promise, we wait for the new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will dwell.” 2 Peter 3:8-13. Remember, the answer you seek is about Him alone and NOT about you or me.

The Reformation introduced the idea of 5 solas, but this was but an introduction not really having to do anything with the Reformation as such; at least, NOT in the way we may see John Calvin and Calvinism. 

1. Faith Alone
2. Scripture Alone
3. Christ Alone
4. Grace Alone
5. Glory to God Alone

In summation to your question of purpose, these 5 Solas relate to God alone, His purpose alone. However, there is much more to be added, but this statement found in Isaiah 55:6-11, “Seek the Lord while He may be found;call to Him while He is near. Let the wicked one abandon his way and the sinful one his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, so He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will freely forgive. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,and your ways are not My ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. “For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so My word that comes from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.”

I hope this helps.

Jesus is Lord.

I am always troubled, just as every Believer should be, that far too many claiming to know Jesus Christ do not. For this reason we must make every effort to read and study the Scriptures in order to not simply know Him better, but to amply equip ourselves with entire armor of God.

Just as Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:15-19, “Make every effort to present yourself before God as a proven worker who does not need to be ashamed, teaching the message of truth accurately.  But avoid profane chatter because those occupied with it will stray further and further into ungodliness, and their message will spread its infection like gangrene. Hymenaeus and Philetus are in this group. They have strayed from the truth by saying that the resurrection has already occurred, and they are undermining some people’s faith. However, God’s solid foundation remains standing, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from evil.” NET2.

Almost every day you and I are confronted by those who are simply ignorant of the instructions God has given for us to live by. Too few understand the commanding Presence of the Holy Spirit who lives in His Temple…our hearts. He empowers each Believer NOT to sin on a daily basis; this does NOT mean that we will not sin, but that we are competent in Him to overpower the temptations of Satan.

Many ask, “How is that possible, not to sin constantly?” My question is simple, “Who is the God we serve?” He is Creator, Savior and Lord of all things. This Creator God has chosen to live in me because He allowed me the grace to be saved by His gift of faith by the Risen Savior. His Spirit abides, lives, in my heart; His Temple. Who, then, is more powerful; the created fallen angel named Satan or the Risen Son of God? I chose the Risen Son. How about you? Jesus is Lord.

(Please read the 1st, 2nd and 3rd chapters of 2 Timothy…preferably, the entire book.)

The end result in personal evangelism and the goal of the messenger is affirmed without placing responsibility in the hands of  the messenger. The prayed for and hoped for end result is in the court of the listener to respond to the activity of the Holy Spirit to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Also, we must NOT obscure God’s eternal glory as the real focal point for all we do must be accomplished with the Lord in view.

Romans chapter 10 may be the most observed portion of Scripture for evangelism. Paul writes, “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we preach), because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation. For the scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, who richly blesses all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How are they to call on one they have not believed in? And how are they to believe in one they have not heard of? And how are they to hear without someone preaching to them? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How timely is the arrival of those who proclaim the good news.” But not all have obeyed the good news, for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” Consequently faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word of Christ.” vv 8-17 NET2. 

Sometimes we will hear some speaking of personal responsibility if someone refuses the invitation of the Holy Spirit to respond to the Gospel Message. Yes, there is a sense of our human responsibility, but our personal experiences do not truly affect the outcome of the presentation. The Gospel Message is from God; NOT you.

“We thank God always for all of you as we mention you constantly in our prayers, because we recall in the presence of our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. We know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you,  in that our gospel did not come to you merely in words, but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction (surely you recall the character we displayed when we came among you to help you). And you became imitators of us and of the Lord when you received the message with joy that comes from the Holy Spirit, despite great affliction. As a result you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For from you the message of the Lord has echoed forth not just in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place reports of your faith in God have spread, so that we do not need to say anything. For people everywhere report how you welcomed us and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God  and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath.” 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10.

Our responsibility is TRUTH and we must NEVER take our eyes off the truth of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Sometimes we might want for more people to make decisions for Christ, but in our zeal we must NEVER insert our human efforts into the Gospel Message. Paul reminds us, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith, just as it is written, “The righteous by faith will live.” For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness, because what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse.” Romans 1:16-20.

Certainly you and I sometimes worry about what God may do if we fail to do what we may think is right or wrong. Our bottom line is to follow the Word of God; presenting it in such a way as to encourage folks to receive the Gospel Message for Salvation. We are reminded of Jesus’ instructions to His disciples, “So the 11 disciples went to Galilee to the mountain Jesus had designated. When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. Then Jesus came up and said to them, “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 the Son and the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20. We are given the responsibility to evangelize the nations, but the results belong to the Savior. We are but the Messengers.

Jesus is Savior and Lord.

I have written a great deal about the result of sin is eternity without Christ in Hell. Perhaps, too much. But there is a reason for doing so. Our culture has changed dramatically in recent time and the practice of immorality is no longer hidden. Things that were once kept hidden are not simply accepted, but promoted by many. In fact, to speak against these immoral practices are frowned upon in many influential circles. How many times have we heard, ‘up is down and down is up?’

There is a cure for this madness and it is called forgiveness. Forgiveness comes from the heart of God and is the solution to Hell, the solution for sin in our world. This forgiveness comes through the Person of Jesus Christ resulting in an eternity in Heaven.

It is important to note that the Greek verb and noun most often used in the New Testament for forgiveness of sin describe the cancellation of a debt. The idea of debt and sin appear to be similar just as forgiving a sin or remitting a debt. The relationship of God with His most prized work in creation is similar to that of a creditor and a debtor. However, while His forgiveness is the remission of sin, a vast change occurs between God and the new Believer.

Look closely at the New Testament and we find many references to forgiveness enacted by God toward one who commits a sin; to those who repent, confess and believe that Jesus is the Savior.

“Now this is the gospel message we have heard from him and announce to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him and yet keep on walking in the darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.” 1 John :5-10 NET2.

“For Moses writes about the righteousness that is by the law: “The one who does these things will live by them.” 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 or “Who will descend into the abyss?” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we preach), 9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation. 11 For the scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, who richly blesses all who call on him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:5-13.

The reason God sent His Son into the world was for the redemption of mankind from sin. Yes, other things are obviously results of His presence among us, but the underlying reason is forgiveness. Jesus accomplished this on the cross. 

In 1 John we find 5 reasons why Jesus came to earth:

1. 1 JOHN 3:4-6 –- He came to ‘take away sins.”

“Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; indeed, sin is lawlessness. And you know that Jesus was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. Everyone who resides in him does not sin; everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him

2. 1 JOHN 3:4-8 –- He came ”to destroy the works of the Devil.”

“Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Jesus is righteous. The one who practices sin is of the devil because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil.”

3. 1 JOHN 5:9-11  He came to give us Eternal Life.

“If we accept the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater because this is the testimony of God that he has testified concerning his Son. (The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made him a liar because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified concerning his Son.) And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life.”

4. 1 JOHN 4:7-10 –- He came to be the Atoning Sacrifice for our sins.

“Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been fathered by God and knows God. The person who does not love does not know God because God is love. By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

5. 1 JOHN 1:5-10–, This then, “is the gospel message…”.

“Now this is the gospel message we have heard from him and announce to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him and yet keep on walking in the darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth. But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.  If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.”

Jesus remains Lord.