Cross image is from Freelyphotos.com
Have you ever wondered what happens to you when you die?
Have you ever thought that maybe God gave us a roadmap?
First admit you're a sinner. We all know we've sinned. It doesn't matter how small, just admit it. You know you've done something wrong. It doesn't have to be something we think of as huge, but it's still sin.
On the other hand, what if you've done something truly terrible? Truly something you think is unforgivable? God already knew you'd commit that sin, before He sent Jesus to die on the cross, and God is the One that said Jesus died for the sins of ALL. That includes you, no matter what you've done.
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."
That means none of us measure up to being as perfect as God is. So stop comparing your sins to someone else's, and compare them to God's. Once we do that, we realize that no matter what, none of us are holy like God is.
Second, realize there are consequences for our sin.
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
The consequences for our sin, any sin, great or small, are the same - eternal separation from God. This is because we cannot exist as unholy beings in the presence of a Holy God.
Third, God does not leave us there. Accept that free gift already mentioned.
It might seem too simple for you to believe it could be so easy, but God is not only holy, He is also merciful. He wants us all to be saved, so He made it free for all, and simple enough for all.
Accepting His free gift of salvation is as easy as confessing with your mouth that you are a sinner, and believing on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to apply His death on the cross in your place.
Romans 10:9 "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."
Feel free to write me if you have other questions.
Have you ever thought that maybe God gave us a roadmap?
First admit you're a sinner. We all know we've sinned. It doesn't matter how small, just admit it. You know you've done something wrong. It doesn't have to be something we think of as huge, but it's still sin.
On the other hand, what if you've done something truly terrible? Truly something you think is unforgivable? God already knew you'd commit that sin, before He sent Jesus to die on the cross, and God is the One that said Jesus died for the sins of ALL. That includes you, no matter what you've done.
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."
That means none of us measure up to being as perfect as God is. So stop comparing your sins to someone else's, and compare them to God's. Once we do that, we realize that no matter what, none of us are holy like God is.
Second, realize there are consequences for our sin.
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
The consequences for our sin, any sin, great or small, are the same - eternal separation from God. This is because we cannot exist as unholy beings in the presence of a Holy God.
Third, God does not leave us there. Accept that free gift already mentioned.
It might seem too simple for you to believe it could be so easy, but God is not only holy, He is also merciful. He wants us all to be saved, so He made it free for all, and simple enough for all.
Accepting His free gift of salvation is as easy as confessing with your mouth that you are a sinner, and believing on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to apply His death on the cross in your place.
Romans 10:9 "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."
Feel free to write me if you have other questions.
I was reading Hebrews the other day and came across a thought that really hadn't struck me in quite this way before.
Hebrews 10:19 and 20 says:
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
It had never struck me before that the veil in the Temple was symbolic of the body – the body of our sins separating us from the holiest part of God's being.
In the crucifiction God ripped the physical veil in the literal Temple. It wasn't swept aside, tied back so the holy of holies was revealed, but leaving the veil intact.
It wasn't dissolved completely, either, but remained, showing an opening to the inner holy of holies.
And it wasn't ripped bottom to top, but top to bottom.
We can't sweep aside our flesh, trying to tie it back with rules and regulations, thinking that will be enough to please God and gain us access to Him.
We can't ignore it, thinking that denying the flesh exists will help us pretend we're already good enough, or it doesn't really matter how we act.
The direction it was ripped is even symbolic – bottom to top could be said that we were making a way to God, but by ripping top to bottom, God makes it even more clear that He is the One making a way to us.
We only get to God by going through that rip in the Veil. There is no other way, except through belief in the One who created the tear in the first place – Jesus Christ alone.
Hebrews 10:19 and 20 says:
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
It had never struck me before that the veil in the Temple was symbolic of the body – the body of our sins separating us from the holiest part of God's being.
In the crucifiction God ripped the physical veil in the literal Temple. It wasn't swept aside, tied back so the holy of holies was revealed, but leaving the veil intact.
It wasn't dissolved completely, either, but remained, showing an opening to the inner holy of holies.
And it wasn't ripped bottom to top, but top to bottom.
We can't sweep aside our flesh, trying to tie it back with rules and regulations, thinking that will be enough to please God and gain us access to Him.
We can't ignore it, thinking that denying the flesh exists will help us pretend we're already good enough, or it doesn't really matter how we act.
The direction it was ripped is even symbolic – bottom to top could be said that we were making a way to God, but by ripping top to bottom, God makes it even more clear that He is the One making a way to us.
We only get to God by going through that rip in the Veil. There is no other way, except through belief in the One who created the tear in the first place – Jesus Christ alone.