Jesus Freely Died For Your Sins

Scripture: Romans 8: 31-35

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?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? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Scripture Commentary: Jesus died so you can have everlasting life

Do you ever think that because you aren’t good enough for God, He won’t save you? Do you ever feel as if salvation is for everyone else but you? If yes, then these verses are especially for you. God gave His Son for you; Jesus died for you! He isn’t going to hold back the gift of salvation! If Christ gave His life for you, He isn’t going to turn around and condemn you! God will not withhold anything you need to live for Him.

Paul says that Jesus is interceding for us in heaven. God has acquitted us and has removed our sin and guilt. Therefore, it’s Satan, not God, who accuses us. And when Satan accuses us, Jesus advocates in our defense, and stands at God’s right hand to present our case.

No matter what happens to us, not matter where we are, we can never be lost to His love. If we believe these overwhelming assurances, we will not be afraid of anything.

In Christ we are super-conquerors, and His love will protect us at all times.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Romans Chapter 8

God So Loved You That He Gave His Son

Scripture: John 3:16

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.

Scripture Commentary: You are so loved by God that He wants to spend eternity with you

The entire gospel comes to a focus in this verse. For God so loved the world … God’s love is not static or self-centered; it reaches out and draws us in. God loves us so much – to the point of sending His Son to pay for our sins.

What Jesus did on the cross 2017 years ago was for all of us …and for each of us today – yesterday – tomorrow! He accepted our punishment, paid the price for our sins, and then offered us forgiveness and the opportunity to live eternally with Him.

Give yourself to Jesus and learn about eternal life

Some people are repulsed by the idea of living forever because their lives are miserable. If you give yourself to Jesus, you will learn that this life is not what He is offering.

In God’s eternal life, there is no death, sickness, emnity, evil, or sin. If you do not know Christ, you make choices as though this life is all you have. If you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of GOd, then in reality this life is just the introduction to Him and eternity.

Believing means trusting and relying on God

To believe is to put Christ in charge of your life. Believing is both trusting His Word as reliable, and relying on Him for the power to change you into what your heart and soul want to be, which is a servant to Our Lord.

Receive this new life by faith and begin to evaluate all that happens from an eternal perspective. If you’ve never trusted Christ, let this promise of everlasting life be yours. Believe!

God so loved YOU that He gave His only Son!

Read the Entire Chapter:
John Chapter 3

God Didn’t Send Jesus to Condemn the World

Scripture: John 3: 17-18

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Scripture Commentary: Jesus was sent into the world to save us

God sent His son Jesus Christ into this world for our sins, to die for us to give us a direct path to God. And still there are people who reject Him.

Some people look for points of disagreement so they can sow seeds of discord and doubt. Some people are repulsed by the idea of eternal life because their lives are miserable. They have rejected Jesus because they think the next life is an extension of this life.

What does it mean to be born again?

John 3:3 says, “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.”

When we are born again, it is not of the flesh but born again of the Spirit. We accept Jesus as the Only Begotten Son of God, believing that He died and rose on the third day and went to heaven to His Father.

To believe is to put your trust and confidence in Jesus. If you have never trusted Christ, let this promise of everlasting life and believe in Christ.

Read the Entire Chapter:
John Chapter 3

The Bible Helps You Enter God’s House

Scripture: Mark 13: 34-37

For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Scripture Commentary: The keys to God’s house are His Words, The Bible.

Jesus has left us with the keys to His Father’s House. The keys are His Words, The Bible. His footprints are on the ground, in the sand and on the floor.

Our role is to be the porters, the gatekeepers, Christ’s servants. Are you a servant for God? Or are you a self-serving person?

The gatekeeper or doorman is the one who is spreading God’s Gospel. It’s the person who is trying his/her best to live a Godly life.

Prepare for Jesus’ return

We don’t know, as God’s servants, when the Master will return. We plan for events in our lives such as births, weddings, home purchases, and car purchases.

But are we preparing for Jesus? Our Lord has gone to prepare our rooms. What are you doing to prepare for the journey?

When God has given us another second, minute, hour, day, we are to give thanks and go about spreading His Gospel to as many people as possible.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Mark Chapter 13

Backbiters: There Is a Price for Being Disobedient

Scripture: Romans 1: 30-32

Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Scripture Commentary: Being disobedient may feel good, but it comes with a price.

We know that it’s wrong to be spiteful, a boaster, and disobedient. But why does wrong feel so good?

God allows us to choose. He won’t stop us from making choices that are against His will. He lets us declare our supposed independence from Him although He knows that in time, that “independence” will make us slaves to our rebellious choices.

We tend to believe lies that reinforce our own selfish desires. Today, more than ever, we need to be careful about the input we allow to inform our beliefs.

TV, music, movies and other forms of media often favorably present sinful lifestyles and unwholesome values . We are constantly bombarded with attitudes and beliefs that are totally opposed to the Word of God.

Paul says that nature itself is eagerly awaiting its own redemption from the effects of sin. So, knowing that everything comes at a price, live like a christian.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Romans Chapter 1

Then Shall I Know God Will Save

Scripture: Judges 6: 36-38

And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said, Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.

Scripture Commentary: Trust and know that God has your back

Are you like Gideon in that when God tells you to do something, you question it? Are you constantly asking God for a sign? Gideon asked God three times to give him a sign so that he would believe God. Gideon believed when he saw the miracles of the fire from the rock, the fleece being wet, and then the ground wet and the fleece dry.

Was Gideon testing God or was he simply asking God for more encouragement? Was Gideon’s motives right or was his methods less than ideal? Are you trusting God or do you need more signs?

When you go to God and ask for His help, don’t always look for a sign before believing. Although you may not get the answer you were looking for, God will always guide you in the right direction.

Visible signs aren’t necessary if it only confirms what you already know is true. The greatest means of God’s guidance is His Word, The Bible. If you want more of God’s guidance, put your life in His hands, and study The Bible.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Judges Chapter 6

Being Saved Is Being Under Grace

Scripture: Romans 6: 1, 14-18

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?(1) For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Scripture Commentary: God places us under grace and mercy when we chose to be saved

We are under grace, and this grace has removed us from legalistic religion. Romans 10:4 says, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”

Jesus said that he came not to change the law, but to fulfill it. Matthew 5:17-18 says, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

Jesus was crucified and on the third day was raised from the grave and ascended into heaven to sit by His Father. When Jesus ascended, He sent the Holy Spirit to us. Because of God’s love, grace and mercy, we are saved.

If it wasn’t for God’s grace, we would still be lost in the wilderness. When we become saved, our old self dies, and our new self, through His grace, is raised up in His spirit to begin a new life in Jesus Christ.

When we become saved, we move out of darkness into His light.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Romans Chapter 6

Additional Reading:
Romans Chapter 10
Matthew Chapter 5

The Son of Man Came to Serve

Scripture: Mark 8:31-35

And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men. And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.

Scripture commentary: Jesus as the Son of Man is the human agent of God

Jesus refers to himself as the ” Son of Man.” The expression comes from Daniel 7:13. Also, it refers to Jesus as the Messiah, the human agent of God who is vindicated by God.

In Mark 8, Jesus begins to speak plainly and directly to His disciples about His death and resurrection. As a result, He began to prepare them for what was coming, telling them three times that He would soon die.

Peter wanted Christ to be king, not the suffering servant. In addition, he was ready to receive the glory of following the Messiah, but not the persecution. He saw only part of the picture, not seeing God’s plan for Jesus’ life, and he was thinking of his own natural human desires and feelings.

Like Peter, we often do not see the plans that God has for our life because we are focusing only the things that we want, here and now. Do not hold on to the things of this world. Now is the time to deny the the things of this world and follow Jesus.

Note: The expression “the Son of man” occurs 81 times in the Greek text of the four Canonical gospels.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Mark Chapter 8

Come Unto Me, All Ye That Labour

Scripture: Matthew 11: 28- 30

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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Scripture Commentary: Accept the invitation to come unto Jesus

Jesus invites us to rely on Him when He says, “Come unto me…” Accept him as Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is God’s only begotten son and He will free us from the earthly burdens that we carry. When we put ourselves in Jesus’ care, the problems we thought we had are no longer important.

God gives us a peace that is so relaxing that it gives us the answers we need. Jesus mentions two kinds of people in his prayer: the “wise” who are arrogant in their own knowledge, and the “little children” who humbly open themselves to receive the truth of God’s Word.

Are you wise in your own eyes, or do you seek the truth in childlike faith, realizing that only God holds all the answers?

Christ’s death and resurrection gave us direct access to God the father. We are so fortunate that Jesus has clearly revealed God to us. He gives us His truth and tells us how we can know The Father.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Matthew Chapter 11

All Things Are Possible to Him That Believes

Scripture: Mark 9: 23-24, 29

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.(23-24) And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.(29)

Scripture Commentary: All things are possible with God

Do you really believe that prayer can answer your needs? The important word is “needs,” not wishes, wants, or desires. All things are possible through prayer.

God knows our needs, and He will take care of them. Faith is a gift from God, and prayer is the key that unlocks our faith. We are asking God to put our life in His hands when we pray. It is then that we are completely dependent on Him.

Prayer demonstrates our reliance on God as we humbly invite Him to fill us with faith and power. There is no substitute for prayer, especially in circumstances that appear to be impossible.

There’s a hymn by Bill and Gloria Gaither that sums it up well, saying, “I believe help thou my unbelief. I walk into the unknown trusting all the while.” We need help with our unbelief. Believing in Jesus means that anything is possible. Nothing is too difficult for God.

We cannot have everything we pray for as if by magic, but with faith, we can have everything we need to serve God. Put your faith in His hands and leave it there.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Mark Chapter 9