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FORGIVENESS:
Why We Must Forgive
by: Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
Luke
23:34 - "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."
JESUS,
hanging between two thieves upon a rugged cross, dying for the sins of
the world, Jesus set the ultimate example. He prayed for mercy for
His enemies. Jesus prayed for his enemies to be forgiven.
In
their ignorance and spiritual blindness, they had crucified their own
Messiah. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, exhibited the same
godly spirit. In his agony and pain, he prayed, "Father, lay
not this sin to their charge." (Acts 7:51)
TO
ERR IS HUMAN AND TO FORGIVE IS DIVINE
There
is an old saying, "To err is human and to forgive is divine".
The human family is born in SIN and has a natural inclination toward that
which is immoral, illegal and sinful. The easiest thing in the
world, however, is to criticize, judge and malign one another. That
trait comes naturally to us humans, who are arrogant, selfish and proud.
WHAT
IS IT THAT MAKES PEOPLE SO VENGEFUL & UNFORGIVING?
Assassination
of character is also becoming commonplace in our society. What a
sin and shame! Where do all these base, carnal and sensual thoughts
and actions come from. What makes mortal man so vengeful,
deplorable, mean and so unable to offer forgiveness?
Often,
the cause of an angry, hateful spirit is jealousy, envy and a sense of
insecurity, rather than a vindication of truth. Dragging a great
person into the mud, undoubtedly makes gossipers and antagonists feel
equal or even superior for the moment.
ENVY
& JEALOUSY CAUSE A HATEFUL & UNFORGIVING SPIRIT
The
Bible says, "For he (Pilate) knew that the chief priests had
delivered Him for envy" and even though they "found no guilt in
Him", yet they crucified Him "without a cause".
(Luke 23:13-16; Matthew 27:24; Acts 13:28)\
THE
BIBLE WARNS AGAINST ENVY & LUSTS OF THE FLESH
Joseph's
brothers sold him into 'Egyptian slavery', because they were "moved
with envy". (Acts 7:9) The Bible warns against the sin
of envy, including it in a long list of sins ranging from homosexuality
to murder. (Romans 1:29)
St.
John warned about the devastating effects of the lusts of the flesh.
St. Paul spoke of devouring one another through fighting and back-biting.
(Galatians 5:15)
And
St. James, the pastor of the first Pentecostal Church in Jerusalem,
asked: "From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come
they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?"
In his epistle, Jesus' half-brother, spoke of lust and hatred as
underlying causes of war and strife.
CRITICISM
IS OFTEN ADMIRATION IN REVERSE
Internationally
known Evangelist T.L. Osborn stated: "Don't let criticism bother
you. Criticism is really admiration in reverse. As a rule,
your critics admire you, or they wouldn't talk about you."
Oh!
How difficult for all of us to receive criticism, but how easy to dish it
out. And for many, it is even harder to forgive and forget.
Bitterness, hatred and jealousy will destroy the one who harbors them.
Carrying a grudge can produce insomnia, nervous tension, ulcers and other
illnesses.
A
FORGIVING SPIRIT IS BEAUTIFUL & CHRIST LIKE
An
unforgiving spirit is demanding, cold and uncaring, while a forgiving
spirit is beautiful and Christ-like.
FORGIVENESS
IS A GIFT FROM GOD
Anglican
pastor Rev. Dale Lang of Taber, Alberta, whose son Jason was shot to
death by a fellow student in his high school on April 28, 1999 stated:
"Forgiveness is a gift from God."
Despite
their terrible grief, the pastor and his wife, Diane, publicly forgave
the youth accused of their son's murder and prayed with the other
students. He said: "Without God's love I couldn't have
forgiven that young man who shot our son. This is too painful a
thing to do on your own. With God in my heart He has made it
possible. I've been set free from bitterness and anger and
un-forgiveness, and that is a wonderful gift."
POPE
JOHN PAUL 2 OFFERED FORGIVENESS TO THE MAN WHO TRIED TO KILL HIM
Pope
John Paul 2 was following in Jesus' footsteps when he visited Mehmet Ali
Agea in his prison cell and prayed for the man who had tried to kill him.
He stated: "Peace and forgiveness go together as an
inseparable pair. One cannot remain a prisoner of the
past....Individuals and people need a sort of healing of memories so that
past evils will not come back again."
Dr.
Oral Roberts, who had been the subject
of harsh ridicule in the press, delivered a powerful sermon on
forgiveness to 5,000 ministers at a conference, shortly after being
vilified in the media.
St.
John wrote, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1
John 1:9)
The
Bible says, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose
sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputes not
iniquity." (Psalms 32:1-2) It's great to know that God has
forgiven us, on the merits of Jesus' death, as our substitute.
The
Bible says: "...And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous: And He is the propitiation for our
sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole
world." (1 John 2:1,2)
The
word 'propitiation' means 'appeasement'; that God is
satisfied with Jesus' death on the cross! His sacrificial,
vicarious death for us satisfied the 'demands of divine justice', in the
courts of Heaven.
Jesus
taught His disciples to pray: "And forgive us, our debts, as we
forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation. For if
we forgive men their trespasses (offences), your heavenly Father will
also forgive you:
"But
if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father in
heaven forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6:12-15)
IF
WE DO NOT FORGIVE OTHERS - GOD WILL NOT FORGIVE US
That
is a sobering thought! If I do not forgive those who have wronged
me, God will not forgive me. Refusing to forgive is there, an
unpardonable sin. God cannot forgive the sins of an individual, who
refuses to forgive those who have wronged him or her.
BY
GOD'S GRACE ALONE WE ARE FORGIVEN
It
took God's grace, through Jesus Christ to forgive us, and it takes His
grace for us to forgive one another, as well as to forgive ourselves when
we have done wrong.
The
Bible says, "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and
beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness,
longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any
man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do
ye." (Colossians 3:12-13)
St.
Paul warned, "Neither give place to the devil...Let him that stole
steal no more....Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your
mouth..."
"Let
all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and evil speaking, be put away from
you with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted,
forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven
you." (Ephesians 4:27-32)
 WHAT
IS FORGIVENESS? - HOW CAN WE LEARN TO FORGIVE
In
the Hebrew, the word forgiveness has a strong connection with the word 'kaphar'
(atonement) meaning "to cover". God instituted the
sacrificial system which pointed to the cross where His Son, Jesus
Christ, the Lamb of God would shed His blood to wash away the sins of all
those who believe on Him.
The
Bible says, "But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we
have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son
cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:7)
In
the Old Testament system, the blood of the sacrificial animal covered the
sin, but through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ on Golgotha, our
sins are purged, cleansed and washed away.
REJOICE
IN THE GOOD NEWS: "But Christ being
come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect
tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered
in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
"For
if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling
the unclean, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh."
"How
much more shall the blood of Christ, Who through the Eternal Spirit
offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead
works to serve the living God!" (Hebrews 9:11-14)
Writing
to believers, St. Paul admonished: "And above all things have
fervent charity (gr. Agape, love) among yourselves: for charity
(love) shall cover a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:8)
The
SECOND meaning of the word forgiveness is conveyed by the Hebrew
word 'nasa' which was used in the Old Testament to express the
carrying away of Israel's sins. It means to "lift up or
away", by the scapegoat.
When
God forgives unworthy sinners (us all), he lifts from us all the burdens,
guilt and condemnation that those sins have created.
The
THIRD meaning of forgiveness comes from the Hebrew word 'salach'
which is "to send away, let go". Again, this refers to
God's grace in removing the sin from us. It denotes a separation of
the sin from the sinner. The sin and its penalty - which is death -
is separated from the believing penitent soul, and he is divorced from
his carnal, evil and wicked state.
The
Bible says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become
new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)
"Forasmuch
as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver
and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your
fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot."
"Being
born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of
God, which liveth and abideth for ever." (1 Peter 1:18, 19, 23)
"In
Whom, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace; And you hath He quickened, who were
dead in trespasses and sins;" (Ephesians 1:7; 2:1)
The
FOURTH meaning comes to us from the Greek language. The word
'Apoluo' is "to loose away" and the FIFTH meaning
comes from the Greek word 'charisomai' means "to be
gracious to".
Jesus
Christ has "loosed us away" and separated us from our sins,
fear, torment and guilt, because God has been 'gracious' toward us.
Praise His Holy name for His mercy endures forever! Amen.
The
Bible states, "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)
"For
when we were yet without strength, in due time Chris died for the
ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet
peradventure for a good men some would even dare to die. But God
commends 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 wraths through Him."
"For
if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His
Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."
(Romans 5:6-10)
Jesus
'lifted off' from us the burden of guilt and shame and carried our sins
far way. He is our substitute and like the scapegoat, removed our
sin and its penalty from us. (Leviticus 16:21, 22)
Only
the blood of Jesus Christ, and the Word of God, has the power and ability
to purge our conscience from guilt! No amount of counseling or
other form of therapy has that ability.
The
Bible says: "There is therefore no condemnation to them which are in
Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
(Romans 8:1)
THE
BASIS OF ALL FORGIVENESS
The
basis of all forgiveness is God's unfathomable love! Let this great
truth resonate in your spirit. It is because of God's great love,
mercy and grace that I have received forgiveness and peace.
Unknowing
people often say, "The Old Testament is void of love and compassion.
It is about the law and God's severity and judgment. And the New
Testament is about God's grace, mercy and love."
They
seem to think that our Heavenly Father is severe and delights in
punishing people, but Jesus Christ, God's Son is full of compassion and
love.
JESUS
SAID, "....He that hath seen Me
hath seen the Father and how sayest thou then show us the Father?
Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?
The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of Myself: But the Father
that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works. Believe Me that I am in
the Father, and the Father in Me: or else believe Me for the very works
sake." (John 14:9-11)
JESUS
SAID: "The Son can do nothing of
Himself, but what He sees the Father do: but what things soever He does,
these also, and show Him all things that Himself doeth, those also doeth
the Son likewise."
"For
the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that Himself
doeth...because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of Him Who hath
sent Me." (John 5:19, 20, 30)
"I
do nothing of Myself, but as My Father hath taught me, I speak these
things. And He that hath sent Me is with Me: the Father hath not
left Me alone; for I do always those things that please Him." (John
6:28, 38, 39)
The
Bible states: "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..." (Hebrews 1:1-3)
The
OLD TESTAMENT PROVES GOD'S MERCY & FORGIVENESS
A
study of the Old Testament proves God's love and mercy was also evident
there. It is true that "the law was given by Moses, but grace
and truth came by Jesus Christ." (John 1:17) It is also true
that Jesus would not have come to this 'sin cursed world' with the
message of grace and truth, if it was not the Father's will.
1.
ADAM AND EVE - God gave them a free
will to choose whom they would serve. He strongly warned them about
the 'Sin of Disobedience'.
After
'The Fall', He drove them out of the Garden so that they would not be
doomed to live in their sin forever by eating of the tree of life.
Immediately, God came to their rescue by killing an innocent animal, to
atone for (cover) their sins! (Genesis 2:16, 17; Genesis 3:21)
2.
PROTECTING CAIN - After Cain killed Abel, and was banished
from that place, he complained that someone finding him would seek to
kill him. The Lord therefore put a mark upon him, so that no one
would harm him! (Genesis 4:13-15)
3.
GOD SENT THE FLOOD
- Why was the flood, that destroyed about 8 million souls
necessary? The people had become corrupted to the point, where the
bloodline of the promised Messiah was iin danger of being compromised.
On
planet earth, there were only 8 souls - Noah and his family - who were
not corrupted by the sin and unrighteousness that had swept across the
earth.
By
sending the flood, God in His mercy guaranteed the birth of our Saviour
Jesus Christ, through the miracle of the incarnation (God in human
flesh), begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of Mary, the virgin.
Satan's
plan was to totally pollute the human race, so that no one would be able
to bear the Christ Child, but God saved righteous Noah and his family by
sending the flood of judgment upon the earth.
The
Bible states: "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord."
(Genesis 6:8)
4.
GOD GAVE HIS ONLY SON
- Jesus became the burden bearer for the sins of the world!
God the Father laid upon His Son the sins, pains, sicknesses, diseases
and fears, guilt and torment that Satan - through man's disobedience -
had brought upon the human famiily.
How
could anyone call our Heavenly Father uncaring, when you consider the
great sacrifice He made in giving His One and Only Son to this world, to
suffer, bleed and to die for our wins on the 'cursed cross'?
THE
BIBLE SAYS: "Surely He hath borne our sicknesses (heb. makob), and
carried our pains (heb. nasa): yet we did esteem His stricken, smitten of
God, and afflicted."
"But
He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him: and with His
stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have
turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid upon Him the
iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:4-6)
The
Word of God declares: "For God so loved the world that He have His
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but
have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
"He
that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall
He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32)
5.
DAVID'S GREAT SIN FORGIVEN - Although
David sinned grievously, he was obedient and willing to repent of the
sins of adultery and murder. By God's grace he was forgiven and
restored.
Even
though David was a mighty man of God, he fell into sin repeatedly.
David's heart was pliable and sincere however, and he sought mercy in
repentance and continued to go on with God.
At
one point, God sent a prophet to confront him. Judgment was
swift. David's son by Bathsheba took ill and died, and as the
prophet declared, "the sword did not depart from his house." (2
Samuel 12: 9, 10)
He
repented, however, and God forgave and restored him fully. Here is
the prayer he cried out to the Lord: "Have
mercy upon me, O God...blot out my transgressions. Wash me
thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Purge me
with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than
snow...Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine
iniquities."
"Create
in me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence: and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation: and uphold me with Thy free
Spirit." (Psalms 51:7-12)
OH,
THE GRACE OF GOD! To me, this is one of the most remarkable
accounts of God's GRACE in the Old Testament. David had committed
adultery, impregnating Bathsheba. In trying to cover his sin, he
had her husband Uriah killed. Yet, God's Holy Spirit had not
departed from David. He cried out: "Cast me not away
from Thy presence: and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me."
David
was desperate. He knew that he was close to stepping over the line
of God's grace. It was his last wake-up call to repent and he did.
God forgave him and restored him! PRAISE THE LORD!
6.
SAMSON GOT A SECOND CHANCE - Samson broke his covenant with
God when he divulged the secret of his great power to Delilah, the enemy
of his people. When the Spirit of God departed from this great
champion, who had ruled Israel for 20 years, he lost his power and was
taken into captivity.
The
Philistines put out his eyes and turned him into a spectacle of derision
and a visible sign of their triumph over Israel and the living God, whom
they served! He was made to grind at the mill, like an ox, while
people came to view his humiliation and to praise their god, Dagon.
In
those painful, desperate and shameful hours, he began to call upon God
afresh and the Lord heard his cry and gave him another chance. Here
is the account right out of the Holy Bible:
"But
the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to
Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison
house. Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he
was shaven." (Judges 16:21-22)
On
a given day the Philistines were planning to sacrifice to their god Dagon
for their victory in capturing their greatest enemy. Samson was
brought to make sport for them. "And Samson said unto the lad
that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I might feel the pillars
whereupon the house stands, that I may lean upon them."
"Now
the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines
were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and
women that beheld Samson make sport; And Samson called unto the Lord, and
said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray Thee, and strengthen me, I pray
Thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the
Philistines for my two eyes."
"And
Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood,
and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the
other with his left. And Samson said, Let me die with the
Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house
fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So
the dead which he slew at this death were more than they which he slew in
his life." (Judges 16:27-30)
7.
ISRAEL SINNED & GOD WANTED TO DESTROY THEM
- Moses had just come down from Mount
Sinai with the two tables of stone on which God had written with His own
finger, the Ten Commandments.
What
was going on in the camp was horrible. During Moses' forty day
absence, the children of Israel had abandoned the Lord and His laws.
They had already broken the first commandment and made themselves a god
in the form of a calf of gold.
The
Bible says: "And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for
thy people, which Thou brought out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted
themselves: Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may wax hot against
them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great
nation.'
"And
Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth Thy wrath wax
hot against Thy people, which Thou hast brought forth out of the land of
Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?"
"Wherefore
should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did He bring them out,
to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the
earth? Turn from Thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against
Thy people."
"Remember
Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Thy servants, to whom Thou swore by Thine own
Self, and said unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of
heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your
seed, and they shall inherit forever."
"And
the Lord repented (changed His mind) of the evil which He thought to do
unto His people." (Exodus 32:9-14)
JESUS
CHRIST IS THE LAMB OF GOD
Seven
hundred years before Jesus came to this earth to die for our sins, Isaiah
foretold His virgin birth, sufferings and death on the cross, as well as
His resurrection from the dead and Everlasting Kingdom! (Isaiah 7:14;
9:6; 53:4-11)
When
John the Baptist saw Jesus, he stated: "Behold the Lamb of God, Who
takes away the sins of the world." (John 1:29) And St. Peter
said: "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with
corruptible things, as silver and gold...But with the precious BLOOD of
Christ, as a Lamb without blemish and without spot." (1 Peter 1:18,
19)
The
Bible says: "For He hath made Him to be sin for us. Who knew
no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God Him." (2
Corinthians 5:21); "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that, though He was rich, but for your sakes He became poor: that ye
through His poverty might be rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9);
"Who His own Self Himself bear our sins in His own body on the tree,
that we, being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness: by Whose
stripes ye were healed." (1 Peter 2:24)
Dear
Friend, please allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you. May you open
your heart and life to receive Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour
today! You will not be sorry you did. He loves you so much
and waits for your call. He will save you for time and eternity.
May God richly bless you, heal you and fill you with the marvelous Holy
Spirit. Amen.
We must live with
ETERNITY IN MIND
by: Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
"For
unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given....of the increase of His
government and peace there shall be no end...with justice from henceforth
even for ever." (Isaiah 9:6)
What
does Eternal life mean?
In
Christianity, the
term eternal
life traditionally refers to continued life after death, as outlined
in Christian
eschatology.
WE
MUST LIVE WITH ETERNITY ON OUR MIND
Matthew
7:13
- (kjv) - 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, that leadeth unto
life, and few there be that find it.
God
is eternal and infinite. He does not think with a finite mind as we
do! His thoughts and actions reflect His omnipotence, omniscience,
omnipresence and eternalness!
God's
plans and purposes for this universe and all of us, were formulated in
His mind before He created the foundations of the world.
Eternity in heaven or hell has already been determined.
God
cannot make a mistake, lie or be wrong in His intentions of deeds, for
God is totally righteous, all knowing and all wise.
EVERYTHING
GOD DOES IS FOR ETERNITY
God
knows the future and sees the pitfalls and snares that await our
stumbling feet. And God helps us, protects us from the devil,
protects us from the world and from ourselves.
WHY
ARE WE SO IMPORTANT TO GOD? Firstly,
we were made in God's image. Secondly, Jesus personally died for
our sins and finally, through the new birth, we are a part of Him - his
body.
What
does the word eternity mean? Eternity
means forever and ever, without end. The words, "there shall
be no end" and "forever", show the eternal purposes of God
in the birth of Christ. THE INCARNATION WAS SERIOUS STUFF. Eternity
is serious stuff.
The
moment, of God the Son - wrapping Himself in human flesh - coming down to
earth to save us. All this was deliberately and perfectly timed and
executed.
"But
when the fullness of time was come, God sent His Son, made of a woman,
made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might
receive the adoption of sons." (Galatians 4:4-5)
Jesus
coming to earth to die for our sins wasn't an after thought or a fill-in.
The decision to send King Messiah to this earth, was communicated to
Satan - the adversary - immediately after Adam and Eve's tragic fall.
"And
I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and
her seed; it shall bruise thy head and thou shall bruise His heel."
(Genesis 3:15)
Here,
God promises a "virgin born" savior (her seed), Who would
conquer Satan through His substitutionary death. In the process,
the Savior would suffer a minor wound (bruise His heel), and Satan would
be totally defeated (bruise his head).
JESUS
DIED ON THE CROSS - With Eternity in Mind
Although
Jesus suffered more than any man, was wounded and marred for our total
salvation, it was minor because He laid down His life of His own free
will. (John 10:15-18)
SATAN
HAD NO POWER OVER JESUS
Satan
could not take it from Him! And Jesus arose again on the third day,
destroying Satan and his power over us.
"Forasmuch
then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself
likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him
that had the power of death, that is, the devil;" (Hebrews 2:14)
FROM
THE INCARNATION TO THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST, AND THROUGHOUT THE
'GOSPEL AGE', GOD HAS CONTINUED THE EXECUTION OF HIS ETERNAL WILL,
THROUGH HIS CHURCH, THE CALLED-OUT-ONES)
This
is why it is so important that we live with "eternity in mind".
All our plans and goals should reflect this mind set, in our
relationships to God, the Church - His body - and the world! We
must think of the future, of eternity and prepare ourselves for eternity,
and eternal life with Jesus Christ.
Let
us study the Word of God, pray, witness and give joyfully, to help build
His eternal Kingdom.
Jesus
said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." (John
3:3,7)
The
Bible makes it clear that, "He who hath the Son hath everlasting
life: and he who believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath
of God abideth on him." (John 3:36)
That
means that all those who do not personally know Jesus Christ, must
receive Him as Savior and Lord in order to be saved and to be in Heaven
with Christ for eternity.
THERE
IS A REAL HEAVEN & A REAL HELL
St.
John emphasized: "If we receive the witness of men, the
witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath
testified of His Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the
witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar;
because he believeth not the record that God gave His Son.
And
this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life
is in His son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not
the Son of God, hath not life. These things have I written unto you
that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have
eternal life, and that ye may believe in the name of the Son of
God." (I John 5:9-13)
HERE
IS THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH - All who reject Jesus Christ and refuse to
receive Him as Lord & Savior are calling Almighty God a LIAR,
"because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son."
(verse 10)
Do
you think for one moment that anyone will escape the judgment of God when
they reject Jesus Christ - His gift to the world - and call Him a liar?
That's
serious stuff, since He is the judge of the entire world! How do
you think an earthly judge would react if someone in his courtroom called
him "a liar"? He would immediately be guilty of 'contempt
of court' of worse.
St.
Paul puts it all in perspective when he says, "For if the word
spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience
received a just recompense of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect
so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord,
and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him." (Hebrews 2:2-3)
ETERNITY
IS REAL - ETERNITY IS FOREVER
In
the Apocalypse, St. John warns: "And the DEVIL that deceived
them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the BEAST and
the FALSE PROPHET are, and SHALL BE TORMENTED DAY AND NIGHT FOR EVER AND
EVER. And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from
Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no
place for them.
"And
I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were
opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the
dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books,
according to their works."
"And
the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered
up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according
to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in
the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Rev. 20:10-15)
HERE
IS THE GOOD NEWS!
Jesus invites, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28)
"For
God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting
life." (John 3:16)
MAY
THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE LOVE OF GOD THE FATHER AND THE
FELLOWSHIP AND COMMUNION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT BE WITH US ALL, BOTH NOW AND
FOREVERMORE.
- Powerful AUDIO Bible
sermons/messages by: Pastor Max Solbrekken
- click on message to listen -
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