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God's Powerful Promise to the Christian...
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| My baptism by my mother, Sept. 2005 |
"He chose us before the creation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love, He predestined us to
be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will -- to the praise of His glorious grace,
which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." ~Ephesians 1:4-8
(NIV)
"I am the Lord, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth for myself. I
summon you by name and bestow upon you honor, though you do not acknowledge me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. I
form the light and create darkness. Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker...turn to me, and be saved." ~Isaiah 44:24,
45:4,9,22
Statement of Faith
The universe and it's inhabitants
were miraculously created by an all-knowing, ever-present, all-powerful God (Genesis 1-2). Mankind was irrevocably separated
from God's physical presence through sin (Genesis 3). In His grace, God sent His Son to become man and take on the burden
of the sins of the world, past, present, and future (the Gospels). Jesus Christ is part of the trinity, or the three persons
of God united in one being. God the Father and the Holy Spirit complete the trinity. Christ was crucified unjustly by the
Roman government, and through His crucifixion, paid the penalty for the sins of the world. Through faith in Jesus Christ and
His work on the cross, mankind can once again be reunited with God in heaven after death (John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9).
Heaven
and hell are literal and real, and exist outside the mortal's perceivable universe. Heaven is a place of peace and joy, a
dimension in which the soul can transcend time and the confines of space (Revelation, John 14). In heaven, we will be in the
presence of God as the trinity, and will communicate with Him and experience awe and joy in His power and majesty (Revelation).
If we reject God and His free gift of salvation, or attempt to earn salvation through our own actions, we are destined for
hell (Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9). In hell, the soul will suffer the eternal torment of separation from the presence
of God, and will suffer enormous pain, being burned by flames continuously in a lake of fire (Matthew 18:8-9, Revelation 20:18).
Every
person born on this earth will have the opportunity to accept or reject the reality of God and the undeserved gift of salvation
from the penalty of our sins. There is only one true God, and only one way to obtain salvation. Consider these words from
the Bible:
"Not by works of righteousness which we have
done, but by His mercy, He saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly
through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of
eternal life." Titus 3:5-7 (KJV)
"God our Savior wants everyone to be saved
and understand the truth. There is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and his people. He is the man, Jesus
Christ. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone." I Timothy 1:3-6 (NLV)
God purchased freedom for everyone
on earth. My prayer for you is that you will accept his gift of salvation and understand the peace and joy of living as a
freed man. Once accepted, salvation is yours forever, regardless of mistakes you make along the road (John 10:28). Jesus Christ
purchased you with His blood, and he has already forgiven you for all your sins, past, present, and future. When He
died for you, all of your sins were in the future, so it would be illogical to assume that He paid for only the sins you commit
before accepting salvation. All you need to do is accept His forgiveness by acknowledging His presence and
admitting you are in need of His help. You can do this in the privacy of your own home, or in the middle of a crowded
room. It only takes a few moments to talk with God and accept Him as your personal Savior. Running the race set
before us without fear of death is a wonderful gift.
"Whoever believes in the Son of God has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath
remains on him." ~John 3:36 (NIV)
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