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 Save
Yourself Some Pain
Becoming a Christian is the most incredible
event that will ever take place in your life. You have
found peace with your Creator. You have found everlasting
life! Be assured--God will never leave you nor
forsake you. He has brought you this far and He will
complete the wonderful work He has begun in you. God
knows your every thought, your every care and your deepest
concerns.
Let's now look at some of those possible concerns.
First, and of primary concern -- do you have "assurance"
of your salvation? The Bible says to "make your
calling and election sure" (2 Peter 1:10,
italics added), so, let's go through a short "checklist"
to make sure that you are truly saved:
- Are you aware that God
became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ (John
1:14, KJV), and that he died for the sins of
the world?
- Did you come to the Savior
because you had sinned?
- Did you "repent"
and put your faith in Jesus?
- Are you convinced that
He suffered and died on the Cross and that He
rose again on the third day?
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God acquits us from the Courtroom of Eternal Justice on
the grounds that Jesus Christ paid our fine.
We are "justified" (made right with God) by
His suffering death. The resurrection of Jesus Christ
was God's seal of approval of the fact that His precious
blood was sufficient to pay the fine.
Think of it this way... You have violated
the law and face a $50,000 fine. You tell the judge
that you are truly sorry for your crime, but he answers,
"So you should be -- you have broken the law! Now,
can you pay this fine?" He can only acquit
you if the fine is paid. If someone else pays your fine,
then he can let you go, but he must have "grounds"
on which to release you.
The reason we need a substitute (a savior)
to pay our moral "fine," is because we have
broken God's Law. To see how much we have transgressed
this Law (the Ten Commandments), we will go through
some of them -- Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever
stolen something? Have you ever lusted after another
person? If you answered "Yes" to these questions,
you admit that you are a lying, thieving, adulterer
at heart, and you have to face God on Judgment Day!
If you have used His name in vain, then you are guilty
of "blasphemy" -- you've substituted God's
holy Name for a curse word. Perhaps you've hated someone,
then the Bible says that you are a murderer. You have
violated God's holy Law, and you're in BIG trouble.
On Judgment Day, you will be found guilty and end up
in Hell. That's why you need the Savior. Merely
being sorry for your sins, or confessing them to God
won't help you. You must turn from sin (repent), and
your faith must be in Jesus Christ alone. He is the
only "grounds" for God to grant mercy towards
you. If you're not sure of your salvation, make Psalm
51 your own prayer.
Let's now look at some more important
principles that can save you a great deal of pain...
 The
first one is called:
Feeding on the Word -- DAILY Nutrition.
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