Real faith is simply the hand that takes from the hand of Christ, and then blesses that Hand that gives so freely. The contemplation of sin in your thoughts is the beginning of every sinful act. Your Sin begins in your impulses, thoughts, interests, tendencies, attitudes, affections, desires, and intents. Sin begins with an unlawful desire, sin dominates your thoughts, and it rules your passion, and then you being to form a scheme to obtain the forbidden. Sin then blazes into your words and actions, from internal thoughts to external acts. You're in a flat-footed mess, you've sinned against your Maker, you're as guilty as Sin, but there's still hope for you, because Christ died for the ungodly, that's you. Good choices lead to good consequences; and bad choices, forgetting God and rejecting Christ, lead to bad consequences. Right thinking always leads to right living. An atheist trades short-term sinful pleasure for long-term eternal pain and torment in the lake of fire. Atheism is the doorstep to hell. The Law of God puts you down, and the Christ of God will pick you up. God has provided the Savior, and now you must provide the sinner, and all will be well with you after that. Bad habits and bad companions lead to bad places - like jail, prison, hell and the lake of fire.
Exalt Christ, put down man. Exalt the Creator, put down the creature. God will only love you freely and forgive you graciously for Jesus' sake. God will never save you for the sake of something you've done. Put the crown upon the head of Jesus, exalt the Almighty Savior. Self-righteousness is the rotten fruit of human pride. Man is utterly fallen and depraved, he is sin-full, he is condemned, and in himself, he is altogether hopeless of salvation. Salvation is of the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Reject and discard all human merit utterly. As a man's faith is, so is he. Only the Blood of Christ can keep down your evil passions. Faith is patient trust and obedience to Jesus Himself. Faith is simply coming to Jesus, fix all your hope on Jesus. God is willing to receive all sinners trust Christ's blood and merits. Mediate much on Jesus' life, love, and blood, consider and admire the Savior all the day long.
Jesus is the Great Forgiver of wretched sinners. The essence of the Gospel is the gift of God's only begotten Son to die for us sinners, so that we might live eternally through Him. Human sin needs an atoning sacrifice, you deserve to die, your soul is dead empty without Christ, but you can be rescued by Another dying for you. Place your reliance upon God's words, rest your guilty wounded soul on the finished work of Jesus Christ. Hold to this - Christ died for the ungodly, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, Whosoever believeth in Jesus is justified from all things, He that believeth in Jesus is not condemned - Hold on to that, and come what may, it will be well with your soul. Trust the sin-bearing Savior, believe on the sin-atoning Lamb of God. Human nature thinks it is good enough without Christ's atoning sacrifice, and robs Christ of His glory. You can't please God with your outward religiousness, ecclesiastical correctness, or with your very best outward performances. Your righteousness is not good enough to please God's pure holiness. Your own righteousness is the highest insult to Christ. Have done with any reliance upon yourself whatsoever. Trust Christ who died for guilty and undeserving sinners. All your sin can be put away at once through faith in Christ's atoning blood. Christ Jesus is the Lamb of God who was slain for sinners.
God was manifest in the flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Christ died for sinners, whosoever believeth in Him hath everlasting life. Look now to Jesus suffering for sinners. God be merciful to me a sinner, for Jesus' sake. Renew me within, cleanse my heart, purge me from my filthy ways. I hate my sins, deliver me from their power and dominion, hold me up in life and death and Eternity, save my soul from the hell I deserve.
