You are loved by God as He
loved His own Son.
“But God demonstrates His own
love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been
justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the
wrath of God through Him” (Romans 5:8-9).
Because of the atoning death of
Christ for our sins, there can be justification
instead of condemnation for the guilty sinner. There
is justification “through the redemption that came
by Christ Jesus (3:24).
The Lord Jesus Christ makes it
emphatically clear that death is not the end of
personal existence. Your relationship to Him
determines the kind of existence you enter into when
you die physically. There are two forms of existence
beyond death—one good and one horrible. You cannot
avoid your eternal destiny; however, what you do
with Jesus Christ determines where you will spend
eternity.
Jesus said, “Do not marvel at
this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in
the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth;
those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of
life, those who committed the evil deeds to a
resurrection of judgment. I can do nothing on My own
initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is
just, because I do not seek My own will, but the
will of Him who sent Me” (John 5:28-30).
Beyond the grave there will be
a resurrection unto life for the person who believes
on Christ as his savior and a resurrection to
condemnation for all who reject Him. When a person
dies these destinies are established for eternity.
When God saves a person He
saves him for eternity.
The Bible makes it very clear
that God will hold us accountable if we persist in
sin and refuse to yield to His rightful Lordship.
We deserve the fierce wrath of
God and condemnation because of our rebellion, but
God has demonstrated His great love for us at the
cross. Instead of wrath, He has extended His grace
to us. Instead of condemnation, He has borne the
judgment for our sins and sets us free. Only a
gracious God would do that.
Everyone is so deeply trapped
by sin and depravity that apart from the grace of
God we are not able to repent and believe on Christ.
It takes the power of God to change our hearts.
God commands that all people
everywhere repent of their sins because He has set a
day when He will judge the world by His justice
(Acts 17:30-31).
Sin is rebellion against God.
The sinner refuses to listen to the voice of God. He
insists on his own way. He refuses to be obedient to
God's commands. Sin is a turning your back upon God.
The apostle Paul declared, “All have turned away,
they have together become worthless; there is no one
who does good, not even one” (Rom. 3:12).
God in His marvelous grace has
set His love upon us. That is the one thing that
brings about our salvation. God loves us in the same
way He loves Christ. We are Christians because of
His infinite grace.
Men are condemned by God’s
holiness because they are sinners, but God in His
grace and mercy saves sinners from eternal
condemnation (Gal. 2:16; 3:26). God’s righteousness
and justice sends the sinner to hell. He cannot and
will not tolerate sin in His holy presence.
However, if you come to Christ
as one who has believed on the Lord Jesus and in His
atoning death for you, God promises to receive you
as He receives His own Son, Jesus Christ.
“There is now no condemnation
for those who are in Christ” (Rom. 8:1). He will
take you to heaven as one whose sin has already been
punished on the cross of Jesus.
The grace of Lord Jesus Christ
pardons all sin. Left to ourselves, we are all
spiritual corpses (Eph. 2:1). We can do nothing to
save ourselves. Only God can save us. Jesus who is
equal to God is the only one through whom a person
can know God (Jn. 14:6; Acts 4:12).
Will your judgment be “unto
life” because of your personal relationship with
Christ? Or will your judgment be “unto condemnation”
because you have stubbornly refused to put your
faith in Him?
Are you trusting in Jesus
Christ for your salvation? If you have never put
your trust in Christ, it is my prayer that you will
right now. Can you say, “Once I was condemned and
subject to the just wrath of God, but now I have
been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, and I have
received the gift of God’s righteousness through
faith in Him?” If so, you are no longer condemned;
you are justified.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
Anyone is free to use this material and distribute it, but it may not be sold under any circumstances whatsoever without the author's written consent.
Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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