Author: Rory Anderson

Ambassadors for Christ

August 24, 2024 / Rory Anderson

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.”

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II Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭20‬ ‭NKJV

If you’re a Christian trying to figure out how to live in this world I’d like to put some things into perspective for you. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, tells us we are “ambassadors” for Christ. What is an ambassador? An ambassador is someone living in a foreign land who advocates or representatives for their homeland. So an American ambassador living in the UK is a citizen of the United States but lives abides by the laws of the UK. But his citizenship to the US affords him certain protections while abroad.

The same thing goes for us as believers. We are not of this world, but of the kingdom to come. We are living in a foreign land, abiding by much of the rules and laws here, but our allegiance is to the Lord first and foremost. We just so happen to be living here.

So if we are ambassadors in this world, what’s our job? Paul says it’s as if God Himself is pleading through us to those around us: be reconciled to Christ! God uses those who are already saved as walking billboards and loudspeakers to tell the lost to repent and be saved! We represent our homeland. We represent the Lord our God. We are representatives of the God who saves. Have you been a good representative?

Biblical Prayer – Part 4: The Example of Prayer

May 31, 2024 / Rory Anderson

“In this manner, therefore, pray:

‘Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.'”
Matthew 6:9-13 NKJV

Christ’s teaching on prayer so far is a wonderful and practical guideline on His expectation of our prayers, what not to do with our prayers, and His commanding our prayers. But He doesn’t stop there – He also gives us a through example of prayer. I mean, it’s most commonly known as The Lord’s Prayer for cryin’ out loud! This example is perhaps one of the most well-known prayers in history. And for good reason: it’s pretty thorough.

I won’t get too bogged down in the nitty-gritty in the following verses, and I’m certainly not going to address the textual variations of the end of this prayer either (each of those things would require significant in-depth study and writing, and those topics are not the focus of this series anyway); however, I will say briefly that regardless of the original ending to this prayer there remains a blatant truth: we should look to the Scriptures and Christ for our instructions to pray. God is the Almighty Creator of prayer and it would be of utmost importance to see what He says about how He wants us to communicate with Him. So let’s check out what this passage tells us.

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Verses 9 and 10 of the Lord’s Prayer show us a few things: 1.) God is our Father and we pray to Him; 2.) He is in Heaven; 3.) His name is to be hallowed – kept holy; 4.) We are to desire His kingdom and will here on earth as it already is in Heaven. If I could sum it up in one sentence it would be that God should be the audience, object, and focus of our prayers. It seems obvious enough, but so often we make prayer about ourselves rather than about Him. Not that we can never make requests, but what do we desire more? Our will or His? This example of prayer shows us that God is the most important aspect of our praying – not us.

“Give us this day our daily bread.”

Verse 11 shows us that God is the supplier of our needs. Not our wants. Not what we think are our needs. He provides our actual needs to sustain us every day. What Christ communicates here is that we need to ask Him to reveal our real needs to us and ask Him to meet those needs.

“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

Aren’t we as believers already forgiven of our sins? So why do we need to ask for forgiveness? Because even though we are justified (declared righteous) before God, we still sin sometimes (read: everyday). While we may sin less than before our conversion, we now live a life of war against the desires of the flesh. Some battles we lose. And we need forgiveness for when we give in to our temptations. First John chapter 1 tells us that if we say we are without sin, we are liars and the truth is not in us. Yes, we may be saved by Jesus and on our way to Heaven when we die, but don’t be deceived into thinking we can’t sin anymore. Seek forgiveness of your sins from the Father in your prayer time.

Additionally, Christ insinuates that we are to be forgiving of others who sin against us. He tells us that we should be forgiving our offenders the way the Father has forgiven us – freely and without grudge.

“And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

The first chapter of James tells us that God does not tempt men to sin. So why does this example of prayer in Matthew 6 say to God to not lead us into temptation? A cursory reading of this line in modern English can lead us to think this was a bit redundant. But if I may help convey the real message here, I’d say this to you: God does not tempt us, He leads us away from it. I think the misunderstanding of this line comes from the second half of the sentence “but deliver us from the evil one”. We usually don’t make the connection here, but Jesus isn’t saying “Father, don’t lead us into temptation” only. The real idea here is, “Father, lead us out of temptation.” First Corinthians 10 tells us that God will provide a way out of every temptation, but this passage in Matthew shows us that we must request that God make that way known to us and to lead us out of that temptation and away from the evil spiritual entities that entice us.

“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

As stated earlier in this writing, there is some debate over the ending of the Lord’ Prayer and whether it should be included in the text or not. I am not going to discuss this debate one way or the other as that will be for another time. The one thing I will say is that whether this is the original ending or not, one truth remains: God should be the focus of our prayers and we should look to the Scriptures for the God-directed instruction on how we should pray. Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. It seems pretty important that not only should God be who we address in our prayers, but we should reiterate the adoration of the One who gave us the ability to pray in the first place.

Final Thought

The Lord’s Prayer is the subject of countless sermons, Sunday school lessons, books, debates, etc., and MUCH more could be said about it than I said. My hope is that this series has been a good foundational overview of Christ’s instruction and example to us of what God expects of us concerning prayer. I hope that this has been instructional, practical, and eye-opening in some way for you. If it’s been beneficial for you, then wonderful! Praise be to God. This series should not be where your study of real, Biblical, God-centered prayer ends. Continue reading your Bible and look to it for how we should pray.

Biblical Prayer – Part 3: The Exhortation of Prayer

May 30, 2024 / Rory Anderson

“In this manner, therefore, pray…”
Matthew 6:9 NKJV

So far we have seen that God expects us to pray and gives us guidance on what not to do. Today’s post will be similar to the expectation of prayer, but shorter and a bit more blunt. If you’re just doing a cursory reading over this passage, you may miss an important command: pray. I use the word “exhortation” because of the alliteration, but in case it’s a new word to you it means “a command”. There is an exhortation to pray. God explicitly commands it.

Jesus says, “In this manner, therefore, pray…” Much of the time when reading this passage, we just focus on the Lord’s prayer and it’s guidelines for our praying. But this first phrase is Jesus literally telling us to pray. Why point this out? Because not only is prayer expected of us, but we are commanded to pray. It’s not just that God wants us to pray and prefers it – He has instructed us to pray. So consider this: if God gives a command, and we do not obey that command, what do we call that? Sin. Yes, it’s that simple.

Now the question is, am I sinning in every moment that I’m not actively praying? No. But if you completely neglect to pray, then yes that would be sinful. We can serve and be obedient to God by praying to Him.

Biblical Prayer – Part 2: The Exception to Prayer

May 29, 2024 / Rory Anderson

“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”
Matthew‬ ‭6:5-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

One of the best ways to learn about something, is to learn what something is not. In fact, we do it all the time, whether we are aware of it or not. Take for example one of the most basic concepts in math: addition. When you learned addition, you learned that it was combining two or more numbers together to find the sum of those numbers. But whether you realized it or not, you also learned that addition is not subtraction. It’s also not multiplication or division. Even if there may be similarities between some of those concepts you learned those distinctions.

Jesus teaches us about prayer by starting with what not to do. He teaches us the distinction between real, godly prayer and counterfeit prayer. This is the what NOT to do in praying. Jesus gives two things not to do – and tags them with what we should do instead:

Don’t pray hypocritically.
Don’t treat God like a genie.

Don’t Pray Hypocritically

What NOT to do: First, don’t pray like the hypocrites. So… what do the hypocrites do? Jesus tells us: standing in the synagogues and on the street corners “that they may be seen by men”. That is a description of people who outwardly pray to God, but inwardly are hoping that people praise them for their public displays of “godly” affection. These hypocrites want people to look at them and say, “Wow, they are so holy and successful!” They are seeking the approval of men for their prayers, not God. Jesus isn’t saying we shouldn’t pray in public; He’s saying that we should pray with the intent of bringing praise to God, not us.

Some of you may read this and think you’re not guilty of this hypocritical behavior because you’re not actively seeking a street corner to pray on or an audience to pray in front of. But have you ever noticed that when you’re asked to pray publicly (maybe to close a service or to pray over food) your prayers tend to be more pristine or polished than when you pray by yourself? While praying publicly, we tend to think that we need to say the right words to that we don’t come across as theologically ignorant to the people around us. But who are we trying to please, God or man?

Instead: Make your prayer private and intimate. Prayer is our one-on-one communication with the Father. When we go to our private place it allows us to focus on our talking with God. It helps to create a physical environment where there are no distractions and helps us to create a mental environment where we can focus on the Father. This does not prohibit public prayer, but the intent and audience of your prayers matter.

Don’t Treat God Like a “Genie”

What NOT to do: Second, don’t pray with vain repetitions. In other words, your many words and repetitions don’t impress God nor do they convince Him to grant your requests. That kind of prayer is empty and useless. Prayer is not a magical spell or chant wherein we say the magic words and God responds with, “You said the right words in the right order, your wish is My command.” No. God is not concerned with the length of our prayers or how many syllables each word has or the number of times we address Him by one of His proper names. God is concerned with your heart.

Prayer has become habitual and ritualistic in the sense that we pray simply as a means of routine. It’s easy to get into a routine and follow a formula every time we pray. That’s not to say that opening or closing or speaking similarly each time is wrong, but we should be aware of what we are saying and why we say our words when we pray. Remember that prayer is communication with the Almighty God. It is not mindless meditation.

Instead: Jesus is telling us that when we pray, our prayers should be God-directed and purposeful, not man-pleasing and ritualistic. Need some inspiration? Look to the Psalms.

Biblical Prayer – Part 1: The Expectation of Prayer

May 28, 2024 / Rory Anderson

I bet I can guess exactly when you pray. Before meals and before bedtime, right? Do you pray at church when someone else is “leading the prayer”? Do you pray when things get rough? Do you pray when things are wonderful? Do you pray before reading/studying your Bible or before starting your day?

When we first examine Jesus’ teaching on prayer in Matthew 6, we typically see how He tells us what not to do in prayer. But if we are carefully reading then we will see that we’ve already missed His first point. Jesus says, “When you pray.” He does not say, “If you pray.”

Why is this so important to point out? Because there is a great different between those two phrases. If Jesus said “if you pray”, then He would be leaving the choice of prayer up to his audience. It would be of no consequence whether one prayed or not. The idea of if has a connotation of wavering and unknown. Saying if makes it sound like “it’d be nice if you prayed, but if not that’s cool, too.” But that isn’t the language Jesus uses here. Instead, He says “when”. This phrase tells us that Jesus expects us to pray. Jesus makes the assumption that we will pray.

Therefore, the first thing we should know about Biblical prayer is there is an expectation of prayer – Christ expects us to pray. In other words, prayer is not optional. It is a duty of the believer. You must pray. It is expected of you. In fact, in his first letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul says, “pray without ceasing”. We should always be ready to pray and always be in a Spirit of prayer. We as believers have the Holy Spirit literally living within us and we should be in regular communication with our God.

Extra Thought

While many of us can recognize that prayer is a necessity and is expected of us, we still find ourselves struggling to start praying anyway. Whatever the reason (fear, unconfessed sin, hopelessness) Hebrews 4:15-16 tells us, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” We can boldly approach the throne of God in prayer because Jesus Christ (our High Priest) sympathizes without weaknesses. He is a compassionate High Priest and desires to hear our prayers.

Biblical Prayer – An Introduction

May 27, 2024 / Rory Anderson

One of the most important duties of the believer’s life is often the most neglected. Prayer is mentioned and taught many times in Scripture, and most people are at least familiar with the concept. But what really is prayer? What is its purpose? How often should we pray? Does God really answer prayers? Only 54% of mainline protestants pray daily. If we are the body of Christ – born-again believers – if the Holy Spirit Himself lives within, shouldn’t that number be higher?

In this brief devotional series, we will be exploring step-by-step what Scripture says prayer is – and how we should pray – so that we can have a solid, foundational, and Biblical understanding and rightly apply it to our lives the way God intends.

Our central passage will be Matthew 6:5-15. It will be beneficial to read this passage multiple times a day to help get it ingrained in your memory:

“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
‭‭Matthew 6:5-15 NKJV

So, what is prayer? It can be defined simply as communicating with God. It\’s a two-way avenue of talking with the Father whether it be about your day, your burdens, your victories, His will for you, praising Him, etc. But it’s most important to understand prayer from the point of view of the Bible if you are to have a proper understanding of the purpose and method of prayer.

In our study together, it will be easiest to understand the “Four E’s of Prayer”:

The Expectation of Prayer
The Exception to Prayer
The Exhortation for Prayer
The Example of Prayer

Keep these in mind as we read together. In the meantime, familiarize yourself with our key passage in preparation for the study. D.L. Moody said, “If we pray without reading the Word, we shall be ignorant of the mind and will of God, and become mystical and fanatical, and liable to be blown about by every wind of doctrine.”

God Meant It For Good

May 27, 2024 / Rory Anderson

A friend of mine recently told me about their struggles with a situation they are in. There are some legal matters involved but the gist is that they are being falsely accused. The accusations are not of criminal issues but the stresses still weigh on them. There are a lot of unknowns in the near future for my friend, but one thing is for sure: God is with them and is in control. Regardless of the situation anyone may be in, no matter how dire the circumstances, God is with His people and is working in their lives. We are going to look at one of my favorite passages in all of Scripture: Genesis 50:20.

It reads:

“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”
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To give some context to this verse, at this point in Genesis Joseph the son of Jacob had been betrayed brutally by his brothers. They were jealous of him, threw him in a well that he may die, sold him into slavery, staged his death in the hopes that their father Jacob would forget about him, they deceived Joseph and Jacob, and other things. Nasty, evil stuff. They wanted Joseph gone even if that meant killing him and trying to cover the whole thing up.

After years of separation, Joseph had befriended the pharaoh of the time in Egypt. He was able to prevent a mass famine and helped lead essentially as Pharaoh’s second-in-command over Egypt.

Through God’s providence, Joseph’s brothers had come to Egypt for food because of the great famine and encountered Joseph, but didn’t even recognize him. Joseph immediately knew who they were and set up a meeting. He could’ve exacted revenge on them; had them thrown in prison; enslaved; or even killed (considering the ruling power he had). Instead, Joseph revealed who he was to them and delivers one of the most gut-punching statements in all of scripture:

“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”
Genesis 50:20 NKJV

His brother’s actions derived from an evil disposition. They were so consumed with themselves and what they wanted, that they devised vile plans against Joseph. Their goal was evil.

Consider Joseph’s perspective for a moment. His older brothers became envious of how their father treated him. He was given a beautiful coat. His dreams caused his brothers to hate him. His brothers staged his death and sold him into slavery. He was accused of rape and thrown in prison. Can you imagine the mental anguish he may have been going through facing one beat-down after another?

But what happened after Joseph found himself in prison? He found favor with the pharaoh. Joseph was elevated to the position of Vizier – Chief Steward to the King. Basically, Joseph was the number two guy over Egypt. In the grander scheme, God was using Joseph’s situations it for good. God didn’t just elevate Joseph. He also used Joseph to save the entire nation of Egypt from famine! It was the Lord who took that evil and turned it for good.

Wicked people plot against us and in many cases they ACT against us. It destabilizes us and causes us doubt and fear. But the Apostle Paul tells us something really important about how God works:

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Romans 8:28 NKJV

God doesn’t just work all things together for good. He works all things together for the good of those who love Him. Do you love the Lord? Then He is working things together for your good. It doesn’t mean there won’t be obstacles or difficulties or pain. Joseph was faithful to the Lord and yet still found himself in less-than-great situations. But God worked in the way that only God can: taking evil and decimating it with good.

Something to note especially in your situation, is that even in the worst situations Joseph experienced God was still there with him. Joseph was not alone. And neither are you.

Your View of God

May 26, 2024 / Rory Anderson

Ever heard someone say, “You have to allow God to work in your life.” Or “Make room for God and see what he will do for you.” Or “God is waiting to do a great thing in you, but the choice is yours. You must let Him be a part of your life.” This is Word of Faith Lite.

God does not need our permission to do anything. Consider what Scripture actually says:

Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.
Psalms 115:3

The Bible leaves no speculation about the dominion of God. The Lord does ALL that He pleases. I don’t know how much clearer that can be.

The earth melts when when the Creator speaks (Psalm 46), and yet we have to give Him permission to work in us and our lives?

He does not bow to us.
We bow to Him.

We aren’t breaking His heart.
He will break us.

If you’re “allowing” God to do anything, you have a weak god.

The Creator is sovereign over His creation.

So do you have a high view of God? Or a low view? Is He who He says He is? Or not?

The Most Important Thing You Will Ever Hear

May 25, 2024 / Rory Anderson

The Gospel is so important for you to understand and believe, that you arguably would be wasting your time trying to learn the Bible if you did not first believe and understand the Gospel. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. You must first be sure that you are saved. So. What is the Gospel?

I’ve Got Good News and Bad News. Bad News First.

Have you ever told a lie? If you said, “No,” then you just lied. If you tell a lie, what does that make you? A liar.

Have you ever stolen something (regardless of its value)? If yes, what does that make you? A thief.

Have you ever committed adultery? Many people would answer that they’ve never cheated on their husband or wife. Others would say they can’t cheat on their spouse because they aren’t even married in the first place. But adultery isn’t just about cheating on your spouse. Consider what Jesus said: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to youthat whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” According to Jesus, lust is adultery. You don’t even have to cheat on someone to be guilty of adultery. So if you have lusted after someone who isn’t your husband or wife, then you’re an adulterer.

Have you ever murdered anyone? “Oh, I’m safe on this one. I’ve never killed anyone. Not guilty,” you might be thinking. Let me surprise you. Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murder will be in danger of the judgment’. But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.” In other words, if you’ve been unjustly angry with someone, you’ve already committed murder in your heart. Jesus says you’re guilty and deserve the same judgment as if you killed someone. What do we call a person who murders? That’s right: a murderer.

If you answered yes to the above four test questions that makes you a lying, thieving, adulterous, murderer at heart. You know, one day we will all die. Death is inevitable. The Letter to the Hebrews says, “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). We will all die one day; some sooner than others. And when we die, we will face God and He will judge us for our sins. Did you answer ‘yes’ to any of the above questions? You may argue, “well, I’m not that bad”. My friend, listen closely: if you keep the whole law and stumble in just one place, you’re still guilty of transgressing the entirety of the law because there is one Law-Giver (James 2:8-13). So, let’s say you die right now and you stand before the judgment of God. God asks, “How do you plead?” What is your answer? If you’re honest you will answer, “guilty”.

When people break the law, what happens? Depending on the severity of the crime, you may have to pay money to the government in the form of a fine. You may serve jail time. You may serve time in prison. You might even be executed for your crime. Do you know what the penalty is for committing cosmic treason against a perfectly holy God? First, you won’t inherit the kingdom of God; Heaven is no destination for you if you’ve sinned. “Neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1st Corinthians 6:9b-10). Second, not only will you not enter Heaven, but your punishment will be Hell: “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8). Hell is real. And it awaits sinners. The wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness, and His wrath and justice must be satisfied.

What Can I Do?

So you may have read all of that and might be asking yourself, “What can I do to escape Hell?” Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to escape Hell. There are not enough good deeds for you to do to negate your sins.

There are not enough charities to donate to.

There is not enough money to give to the homeless.

There are not enough old ladies to help cross the street.

There are not enough children to adopt.

There is no sufficient number of times you can read the Bible to please God enough for Him to let you in to Heaven.

You do not have the power or the means to save yourself from the flames of Hell. Your works cannot save you. Remember, we are judged for our sins – not our good deeds. We are finite humans that have sinned against an infinite God. However, not all hope is lost! As dark as this has been, stay with me. It only gets better.

And Now The Good News

A criminal must pay his fine and/or serve his time behind bars. But we’ve already seen that the only penalty we incur for our crimes is Hell. We’ve also seen that we cannot pay our own fine. So how is the fine paid?

Remember earlier when I quoted Jesus? He said many things about sin. He also said many things about being saved from sin: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me” (John 14:6). Jesus tells us that He and He alone is the only Way by which we can be saved. Salvation is offered as a free gift from God Himself. Romans 6:23 states, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Salvation is a gift. What do we do with gifts? We receive them. How do we receive this gift?

The first words of Jesus recorded in the Gospel of Mark were, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Jesus tells us the first step to salvation is repentance. What is repentance? To ‘repent’ of your sins means to ‘turn away from’ your sins. Jesus calls us to repentance. You should know that God is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2nd Peter 3:9). Repentance is when we confess our sins to God, ask for and receive forgiveness of our sins and turn from our sinful lifestyle. Repentance is a two-fold process: not only are we turning from our sins, but we are turning toward God and His righteousness.

We not only repent of our sins, but we also trust and put our faith in Jesus to save us from our sins. How? You see, Jesus called Himself “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” for a reason. When He lived here on Earth, he lived a sinless life so that He could eventually be crucified on a wooden cross and die the death we deserved. He was not just crucified. He sufferred. He was shamed, beaten, mocked, spat upon, whipped, screamed at, cursed at, and that was just His walk to the cross. While on the cross, Jesus Christ suffered the punishment for our sins. All of our sins. All the sins of each human being that has ever been created, lives now, and ever will live in the future. He took the punishment of Hell that we earned for ourselves and willingly laid down His life so that we don’t have to. This was an act of God’s love, sending His own son to be the substitute for us. Listen to what the Apostle Paul says in his letter to the Romans (5:8-11),

“God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

Christ reconciled us to God through His death and life. Three days after Christ died on the cross and was buried, He was resurrected. His resurrection sealed and secured our salvation and defeated death for us. This was all an act of grace by God. We deserved no wonderful gift of salvation, but He offers it to us freely. We simply repent of our sins and trust in Jesus for our salvation. This is what the Gospel is. We are sinners, we deserve Hell, God loves us and provides reconciliation through His Son Jesus Christ.

So… Now What?

Do you repent and trust in Jesus? Then you’re saved from your sins. Bask in the glory of God and live your life for Him. You are now free from the bondage of sin. You no longer have to be ashamed of your past sins, because God has forgiven you of those sins through the spilled blood of Jesus. No matter the hardships you face – and you will face them – you now have Heaven to look forward to after death. No matter the trials and tribulations you suffer in this world, “be of good cheer, Jesus has overcome the world” (John 16:33). Our God has reconciled you to Him. You have been justified and made righteous in the eyes of God. Will you sin? Yeah. But remember you can always find forgiveness from God the Father through Jesus the Son. Confess your sins and know that God is faithful and just to forgive you of your sins and cleanse you from ALL your unrighteousness (1st John 1:9).

Welcome to the family.

Hey. Did you receive God’s free gift of salvation? Feel free to drop a line and let me know your story. I’d love to hear about it.