God

God and You

The Nature of God

God is more powerful than we can imagine. The Bible
tells us how powerful He really is:
“He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the
world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his
discretion. When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of
waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend
from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and
bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.”Jeremiah 10:12-13

Not only is God magnificently powerful, He is
perfect and without sin: He is holy and righteous.
“The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his
works.”   Psalms 145:17

  “As for God, his way is perfect . .”   Psalms 18:30

The Nature Of Man

Men of Bible times such as Job, Peter, Isaiah, and
David knew that God was holy, and realized that in His
sight they were sinful.
   Job said: “Behold, I am vile . . .”    Job 40:4

  Peter said: “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
  Luke 5:8

  Isaiah said:   “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man
  of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean
  lips. . .”   Isaiah 6:5

  David said: “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin
  is ever before me.” Psalm 51:3

These men of God knew that the heart of man is
sinful and that it is man’s nature to sin.
But more importantly, each man pointed his finger at
himself and acknowledged his own sin. That was a
humiliating thing to do, but it takes a humble person
to admit that he is a sinner. It is the humble
person, not the proud, that pleases God.
“...God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the
humble.”   James 4:6

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you
up.”   James 4:10

The Bible says that every person is a sinner; only
God is holy and righteous.
“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Romans 3:23

While a person may claim he has no sin, God knows
the heart and is aware of the secret sinful thoughts
that originate there.
“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts. . .
pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and
defile the man.” Mark 7:21-23

We stand condemned before God, and any
righteousness we claim to have is as filthy rags in
God’s sight.
“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses
are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities,
like the wind, have taken us away.” Isaiah 64:6

God cannot accept us in our sinful condition.
Our sin has separated us from God.
“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God,
and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”
Isaiah. 59:2

Separation from God is not only for man’s time on
earth but throughout eternity.   Those who are not
reconciled to God will spend eternity in the lake of
fire.
“The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather
out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing
and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew. 13:41-42

Who Can Save Us?

Man cannot remove the sinfulness of his heart and
mind. Man cannot change himself.
“Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then
may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.”
Jeremiah 13:23

We cannot change our sinful condition, and we fail
in our efforts to be righteous before God.    Trying
to keep the commandments, giving money to charities
and church, joining the church, being baptized,
praying long prayers, taking communion, and taking
part in other religious rituals cannot change our sinful
hearts. We cannot save ourselves. We need a
Saviour. Here is the good news: In His amazing love and
mercy, God Himself has become our Saviour!

“But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared ,
Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy
he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Titus 3: 4 ,5

God the Father sent God the Son to the earth to be
our Saviour. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, shed His
sinless blood on the cross in payment for our sins and
rose again so that we could be justified in God’s sight.
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified
by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”
Romans 5:8-9

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sins, according to the riches of his grace.”   Ephesians.1:7

“Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification."
Romans 4:25

God took our vile sins upon Himself on the cross, so
that we sinners could be made righteous --so that we
could have the righteousness of God!
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we
might be made the righteousness of God in him.” II Corinthians 5:21

Because of Jesus Christ, we are offered eternal
life in Heaven as a free gift.
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

A gift is not something you earn through your own
efforts; it is given freely. You cannot work for God’s
wonderful salvation; it is given only by His grace.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9

Many are ignorant of this marvelous gift that God has
to offer. They are trying to get to Heaven through their
own efforts at righteousness, instead of submitting to
God’s righteousness through Jesus Christ.
“For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to
establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves
unto the righteousness of God.” Romans 10:3

Jesus Christ by Himself purged our sins. Man has no
part in paying for or removing his own sins.
“God, . . . hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom
he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his
person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he
had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the
Majesty on high”   Hebrews 1:1-3

There is salvation in no other than Jesus Christ.
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name
under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man
cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6

God, the great and perfect Judge of all men, offers an
eternal pardon for sin only through the blood of Jesus
Christ which was shed on the cross of Calvary.
Although this pardon is available to everyone, relatively
few people will be pardoned. This is because most
people would rather trust their own ideas about how to
get to Heaven than to believe God’s Word. The many
who reject God’s gracious offer of salvation in Jesus
Christ are still in their sinful condition and on the way to
destruction. All ways do not lead to Heaven. Most
people are not going to Heaven.
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate:
and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be
which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate , and narrow is the
way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matthew 7:13,14

God, our Saviour, wants to save everyone; He wants
everyone to come to know the truth. The truth is that
Jesus Christ is the only One who can bring God and
man together.
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who
Will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of
the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and
men, the man Christ Jesus;”    I Timothy 2:3-5

How You Can Receive God’s
Free Gift Of Salvation

God says that to be saved you must repent.
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted
out.”    Acts 3:19

“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth
all men every where to repent.” Acts 17:30

Repentance is not “quitting this” or “giving up that;”
rather, it is an attitude of the heart. Repentance involves
deep sorrow for sin and a strong desire to be rescued
from sin.
God says that to be saved you must believe in your
heart that Jesus, God the Son, bled and died and rose
again for your sins.   (An intellectual belief in God is
not enough; Satan and his devils believe in God, but
they are not going to heaven. James 2:19; Rev. 20:10)
The belief must be in your heart.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved.”     Romans 10:9

A half-hearted repentance and belief will not do. Some
people think that they are saved because they prayed
a special prayer at sometime in their lives. It is not the
words God is concerned about, but the heart.
“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth
me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”     Matt.15:8

You must want Christ with all your heart.
“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me
with all your heart” Jeremiah 29:13

Jesus knows your heart; you must come to Him with a
true desire to be rescued from your sin. Are you weary
of sin? Then come to Him now. Receive Him as
your Saviour and Lord.
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am
meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
Matthew 11:28-29

“. . . behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
11 Corinthians 6:2

The Miracle Of Salvation

Salvation is not a process; it is a gift and is given in a
moment. Salvation is a miraculous work in the heart.
At the moment of salvation, you will be born again into
God’s family.
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:3

As a child of God you will inherit a new nature.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things
are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
II Corinthians 5:17

As a child of God, you will find that your attitude
toward sin will be different.
“God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”   Romans 6:2

You will want to read your Bible, and you will enjoy doing
the things of God. Also, at the moment of salvation, the
Holy Spirit will come and dwell within you. He will help
you to understand the Bible as never before.
“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit
which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given
to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which
man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth;
comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”    I Corinthians 2:12-13

True salvation can never be lost. It will be yours for
eternity.
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”   John 10:28

Having salvation doesn’t mean that life will be without
troubles and problems. In fact, Satan will be angry
because you won’t be in Hell with him; he will give you
trouble because of it. Thankfully, you will have the help
of your heavenly Father because of Jesus Christ.
“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in
Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in
every place.”    II Corinthians 2:14

Becoming a child of God means forgiveness, a new
life, service to the Saviour, and joy and peace that is
so wonderful, it is beyond understanding.
“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep
your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”   Philippians 4:7

“Giving thanks unto the Father. . . Who hath delivered us from the
power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his
dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even
the forgiveness of sins." Colossians 1: 12,14