What Does God Think About You?

The Bible says, "Christ died for the ungodly."  When the Bible uses the term "ungodly", it doesn't mean some heinous criminal.  No, "ungodly" means those people that could care less about Jesus Christ; those thoughtless souls that just don't give a flip about the Gospel and the words of God.  The ungodly man is the one who doesn't acknowledge or honor God, the one who doesn't care what God thinks or how God feels about his daily thoughts, words and actions. The ungodly man doesn't care what God thinks about him.  The ungodly are those folks that just don't pay Jesus any mind.  Are you ungodly?  Do you live from day to day without any love to God, or fear of God, or faith in God?  God says to you, "O sinner, did I suffer, bleed and die for you, and is this ungodly life of yours all that you have given Me in return?" You're going to wind up in Hell, if you are unrepentant and stubbornly say, "I don't need Jesus Christ, I will do it my way."

Our sins mess up our home, family, friendship, office, church, community, state, country and world.  Sin is serious; sinning against God does matter; sin demands punishment by death.  Sin makes every man thoughtless and careless; sin leaves every man undone, guilty, and wretched.  You can't get yourself right, for you are a sinner and completely wrong in God's sight.  Only the Lord Jesus Christ and Holy Ghost can make you right with God, and you cannot boast about that at all:  God must get all the glory for anything good about you. The diagnosis of the human race is that we all have sinned and come short of the glory of a holy God, and the prognosis is that there is nothing man can do about his sin; sin is humanly incurable.  The evil of evils is the human heart, any human heart without Jesus Christ.  *Jeremiah 17:9; Ephesians 5:8*  A life is an easy thing to waste, and a soul is an easy thing to lose, if you just keep yielding to your sinful propensities.  The only remedy for human sin is faith in the Blood of Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh.  There is a cure for your sin problem; you can be rid of your awful guilt, but only at the Cross.  What does God think about you?

The self-righteous carnal mind says, "God's good will toward me cannot be expected unless I earn it.  I'm not the best person, but I'm not the worst; there's a lot of people worse than me." Sin says, "Leave me alone God, I will do it my way." In religion, guilty man is trying to reach up to God (religion is about the things man does to try to please God), but in the Gospel, God reaches down to sinful man and dies in the sinner's place in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.  Jesus did for your sinful soul what you could not do.  This must be your plea, "O God, I am nothing in Your holy sight; I cannot rid myself of my sins, Lord Jesus, please do that for me with your Precious Blood." What does your sin against God deserve?  Do you think you're better than any other sinner in the sight of God?  Do your past sins ever come into your mind and trouble your spirit?

Being justified freely by God's grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through faith in His Blood, to declare His Righteousness for the Remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time His Righteousness: that He might be just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Wherefore in all things it behoved Jesus to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make Reconciliation for the sins of the people. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the Propitiation for our sins.  And for this cause Jesus is the Mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the Redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.  Christ Jesus is the Propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Here's the Gospel of the Grace of God in a nutshell - Blood Shed and a sinless Life taken; the Removal of Sin and its Consequences; and the Restoring of our Relationship with the Creator God.  A Bloody Sin-Atoning Death, The Free Forgiveness of Sins, and Instantaneous Reconciliation to God.  The Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, took the infinite punishment due to all my sins on Calvary's Cross, and ended all of God's anger against me. God demonstrated His divine justice and wrath on Jesus because of my sins against God.

Jesus stood up before His enemies and said, "Which one of you can convince Me of sin?"  Jesus' enemies watched Him continuously trying to find fault with Him, and they could not pin anything on Him.  He was absolutely without sin.  Jesus hung nailed to the Cross enduring the full weight of God's holy and just anger on Sin, but not His own sin. *II Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13* The Lord Jesus Christ suffered all this on the Cross because of your sins.  The Father punished the Son for our sake in our place as our Substitute.

Now mark it down - Only the Precious Blood can satisfy divine Anger toward human sin.  The punishment that brings us peace with God was laid on Jesus at the Cross.  His wounds heal us of the plague in our heart that leads us to love sin and make light of it.  God put all my sins to Jesus' account, and then God put all of Jesus' Righteousness to my account.  Your sins do matter.  The horror of the Cross were not the blood, tears, nails, spear and crown of thorns; no, the horror of the Cross is that Jesus bore our sins and the wrath of God, and literally became Sin for us.  Sin was punished when God laid your sins on Christ at the Cross.  Jesus bore your sins, and God punished sin to its full extent, to show His justice, and so that God could freely forgive your sins for Jesus' sake.

The Father said to Jesus, "I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff-necked people.  Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven." But Jesus went up to mount Calvary, and the mount burned with the fire of God's wrath. God said, "Behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and have made yourself a god: you have turned aside quickly out of the way which the Lord had commanded you."  Then Jesus laid down His sinless life and loved you to death before the LORD, because of all the sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.  Jesus endured the Father's anger and hot displeasure, because the LORD was wroth against you to destroy you.  You have sinned a great sin against God and have made a god of yourself, but Jesus with His shed Blood has made a perfect Atonement for your sin.  Jesus says, "Father, please forgive their sins, I pray Thee, and blot them out of Thy book which Thou hast written.  Remember My Blood instead and have mercy on this sinner for My sake."  Jesus says, "I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins."  God's just anger against my sins fell on Christ, and He suffered all I deserve, so that I may go free and be granted free eternal life.  The Holy One from Heaven bore away my sins on Calvary.

No man could die for sins until Jesus of Nazareth came and suffered the full wrath of God towards human sin.  Your sins against God do matter.  Your sins against God's Law are the reason why the Son of God had to die.  Jesus took my sins, guilt, and punishment in my place, so that I can go Free.  Jesus paid sin's Price with His own Blood, and I receive the free Pardon.  Have you received the Pardon of sin from Jesus' hand freely?   Never mind where you go to church, never mind what you've done or may do, never mind your family's religious affiliation, never mind what you wear, never mind how much Bible you may know, never mind what people may think you are - put away all of your pride and conceit.  Have you received Jesus Christ into your body and heart?  Have you ever been born again and had your sins freely forgiven for Jesus' sake through faith in His sin-forgiving Blood?  Have you ever come to the Christ at the Cross?

Remember, your entire life is a clear window to God's eyes; He knows everything about your public and private life.  God sees you as you really are; He records your thought life every hour in His books in heaven.  Stop making excuses and alibis, and putting off Jesus Christ.  I have no excuses and no plea, but that I am a sinner, and that Christ Jesus died for me. What does God think about you today?

Childlike Dependence 2

When a child looks to his parent or guardian for all of his earthly needs, that child is called a dependent.  The helpless child is depending on that parent/guardian to supply his food, clothing, shelter and the like.  You must become Jesus' dependent, that is, come to rely upon Him for all your spiritual needs.  Faith is simply defined as an empty sinner receiving the person of Jesus Christ.

Childlike dependence on Jesus Himself is most needful.  Patient waiting for Christ, firm adhesion to His words, intense love to His person, abiding in Him contently, praying for the Spirit's divine help.  Is eternal life dependent on something you can do?  Does your Salvation depend upon your works at all?  Self-dependence, self-help, self-exaltation, and self-salvation must be forsaken once and for all.

Renounce your love for sinning, give up your evil practices, abhor your own righteousness, trust to nothing but Jesus' sinless doings and bloody death - simply depend on the Lamb of God.  Put more and more faith in Christ Jesus, and less and less in your self, experience, and feelings.  Simple faith hanging alone on Christ Himself without any other dependence but God manifest in the flesh and Him crucified.  I am Jesus' dependent, are you?  My soul is absolutely dependent upon Christ Jesus.  Lord Jesus, thank you so much for your bloody death on the Cross for my ungodly soul.

The just shall live by faith.  Faith is the water that nurtures the root; faith is the sap which gives life to the branches.  But not just any faith will do.  Genuine faith is a gift from God.  God must lead you to direct and fix your faith on bloody death of the Mediator. Without faith in Jesus' finished work, all other graces begin to wither.  Faith in God Incarnate's Precious Blood is the connecting link between our soul and Christ.  Faith in His Blood, Faith in His Blood.  True and vital saving faith is of utmost importance.  Whosoever believeth on the Blood of the Son of God hath eternal life abiding in him.

Constant dependence on the person and power of the Holy Ghost is vital to our daily victory over self and this world.  We need divine assistance from the divine Spirit at all times.  Rely upon the eternal love of the Father, trust in the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ, depend wholly upon the merits and righteousness of the Savior, but also confide in the Holy Spirit's work. The more childlike you are, resting more simply on the Holy Spirit's person and power, the more content and happy you will be in this life.  Panting after God's presence and smile.  Depend on the constant influence of the Holy Spirit; maintain present reliance on the unseen hand of God.

Renounce all dependence in anything you are doing to help save yourself.  Cease to be your own savior, give up your futile attempt to please God with your own righteousness, for you have no righteousness at all.  Until you are born again, there is no good or light in you at all.  When Christ Jesus is your All, then your soul is safe and sound.  Throw away every other dependence and rest alone on Jesus.  Many people go to church today, but very few of them have ever been to the Cross and trusted in the blood of the Lamb of God.

Your first business is to trust to Christ's Atoning Blood.  Faith in Jesus' blood is the starting point of Salvation; yea, it brings you to Christ Himself who is your Salvation.  Play it safe - Depend on nothing but the shed blood of the Lamb of God.  Cast your heavy laden soul on Jesus, with the whole burden of your sins, doubts, fears, and anxieties.  Absolute dependence upon a present God at this very moment with proper humility.  My defenseless soul is entirely dependably upon the Lord Jesus Christ.  I am resting in none else but Jesus; I am trusting who Jesus is, what He has done, and what He has suffered to save my soul from my sins.  Renounce all dependence upon your own efforts to help save yourself.

Simple, childlike trust in God manifest in the flesh who bled, died, and rose from the dead for sinners just like you.  Faith in Christ's Blood, and then love to Christ's person.  My main business is to trust Christ; to rest on Him; to depend on what He did for me on Calvary's Cross.  The first and immediate object of a sinner's justifying faith is Christ Jesus' Atoning Blood.

God manifest in the flesh offered a perfect, sinless Blood Atonement for the ungodly.  Look to Christ Jesus first as God, and as a sinless man as well.  Trust in His incarnation (virgin birth) and in His Substitution (Blood Atonement).  The Infinite became an infant, the Creator became a creature, the Eternal became a mortal, the King of Heaven became a Jewish peasant; His name was Jesus of Nazareth.  He became a servant of servants in order to save you from Sin.  Oh believe this promise true; Christ died for the ungodly, that means you.  The one road to Heaven is by childlike faith (dependence) in Jesus' Precious Blood.  Are you Jesus' dependent?

Going to Heaven Alone?

A man once put out some crumbs on a window ledge for birds - one sparrow came, the crumbs were there, he wanted them, so he picked up the crumbs and ate them, and the crumbs were his. The next day, the same sparrow came back for more crumbs, but he brought some of his friends with him to the window ledge, so his friends could enjoy the crumbs with him. If you want the Bread of Life and God's mercy, there is rich mercy available right now within your reach, come and take *Mercy* from the hand of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. And if you have truly partaken of Christ Jesus (The Bread of Life), you will surely invite others to come to Him.

If you have learned and received Jesus' salvation and love toward sinners in your own heart, then tell it out to others. If indeed the Gospel is glad tidings to you, then tell out the happy message to those around you, and say to every sinner you can, "Christ died for the ungodly; Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved; Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." You prove your knowing the Lord Jesus Christ by your sincere desire to make Him known to others; and you have need to doubt whether you truly understand the salvation of the Lord in your own soul, if you feel no inward impulse to make others aware of the glorious Salvation of your Lord.  The old proverb goes like this, “He that would go to Heaven alone, shall never go there at all.”

Peace with God

The Creator God is angry with every one of us in our natural unregenerate state, because we are sinful, and we are at odds with God because He is Holy, and we are not.  God cannot agree or fellowship with us while we remain lost in our sins - "Can two walk together except they be agreed? The carnal mind is enmity against God:  for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." There is an infinite separation between the rebellious creature and the righteous Creator.  By nature we love that which is evil, and within us there is an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.

We have broken God's law, and we are lost. The only way in which we can get forgiveness is through the merits of Jesus, and that He must freely give us if you simply come and confess your sinfulness, and take Jesus to be your all in all. Yield to the working of his Holy Spirit, and trust to Jesus' person and blood, and you are saved instantly and forever.  Simply become an empty vessel beneath the flowing fountain of water of life that comes from Christ Jesus. Do not try to be a full vessel, or a half full one; but be an empty vessel, and Christ will fill you up. He will not miss one empty soul, for His desire is to save and bless you. He delights in being merciful to the guilty: He longs for it.  Simply be dead, and let Christ Jesus be your Life; become the beggar, and let Jesus be your Riches; be sick, and let Him be your soul's Health; be lost, and let Him be your Savior and Guide; be nothing, and let Him be your All in All. This is faith indeed; to sink self into the Savior; to be lost in yourself, and to be saved in Christ's Blood and Righteousness.

Human nature is dead set against the God of the Bible; it kicks against God's authority, it rebels against His commands, it resists His Holy Spirit, it rejects His bleeding love that was shown through the death of Christ Jesus.  The lost man lives in hostility towards God every day. Before we can enjoy peace of God within our hearts, there must be a state of peace established between us and God, and that can only be accomplished through faith in the Blood of His Son's Cross.  We must submit and yield ourselves to the Lord, and He must forgive our sins freely for Jesus' sake, or else there will be no peace for us; for "there is no peace, saith my God, unto the wicked."

Here is how a sinner possesses peace with the Holy Creator God.  We are criminals condemned in God's sight, but we do not consider ourselves to be in such a critical condition until the work of the Holy Spirit begins in our hearts. We persist that we are righteous by our own accomplishments, we refuse to acknowledge the jurisdiction of God's divine Law, we refuse to acknowledge and own the Justice of the Law's sentence. Before we can have peace with God, we must be brought into God's Court by the Holy Spirit, hear the divine Indictment pronounced against us, and be put on trial. When we are arraigned, we must put in our plea.  Do you say "Not guilty"?  If so, then you are challenging your Accuser to bring forward the evidence which will soon expose your conceit and condemn you forever.

Before there can be peace between us and God, we must with all our hearts plead "Guilty." We must confess the truth of our guilt, for God will never agree with liars, or with those who indulge in self-deception.  He is a God of truth, and dissemblers (insincere hypocrites) can have no communion with the God of the Bible. Being guilty, we must take the place of the guilty: it is our proper position, and it is due to the Judge of all the Earth that we take it; to refuse to do so is to be held in contempt of Court.

There is Mercy only for a sinner, but there will be no mercy for the man who will not own himself to be a sinner. "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins"; but if any man say that he has no sin, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him, and there can be no peace between him and God while he is in that state of mind.  This is a stern demand, and it is very vexing to our pride, to have to stand in the dock, and answer to the indictment , "Guilty, or not guilty?" and to reply, "Guilty, O LORD, Guilty! Whatever the consequences may be LORD, I am as Guilty as sin."

The sins of our past and the ones we commit daily haunt us.  "If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean, yet shall God plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me." We cannot look upon a single day without being convinced of our sin; and in reviewing our past lives from our childhood until now, we are over and over constrained to be ashamed at the memory of our waywardness and willfulness to sin, and of our perverseness and provocation towards God.

To plead Guilty is the ending of a vain show which we find hard to keep up; the admission of guilt is getting to the bottom of the matter, and acknowledging the worst of our case.  Before we can have peace with the God of Heaven, we must confess and admit our true condition, and plead Guilty.  Only the Holy Spirit can persuade you to do so.  It is the Holy Spirit's work to convince us of sin, and when He begins His divine work upon any of us, we shall no longer profess like the self-righteous Pharisee and say we are not as other men, but we will profess clearly like the publican and heartily pray, "God be merciful to me a sinner."

First, with contrition of heart and convicted conscience, we must own and acknowledge our inexcusable guilt. The next thing required for our peace with God is for us to admit the Justice of the divine sentence pronounced against us, and reverence the Judge of all the Earth instead of reviling Him and revolting against Him.

There are some men who will say, "Yes, I will admit that I am guilty and sinful, but the penalty for my sins (the Lake of Fire) is out of proportion to my criminality; I cannot believe that a loving God will deal with my offenses towards Him so severely."

If the Holy Spirit ever shows you your sins in their natural vileness and hideousness, you will think no punishment is too bad for them. You will cry from the depths of your soul, "Let my sins be condemned, let them be punished forever." Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap: the consequences of sin must follow its commission.  If there were no laws in our communities, or if laws were violated with impunity, the foundations of society would be undermined, and there would be no peaceful living here in this world. The great Judge of all the Earth must do right; and if He does right, He must punish our sins, for they ought to be punished.

If I was the Judge of quick and dead, the first thing I would do would be to condemn myself, for my sins justly deserve condemnation and punishment. Only the Spirit of God can bring you to be convinced of sin, and of righteousness, and the judgment to come. God is Righteous in fixing a day in which He will judge the world by the man Christ Jesus.  For the self-righteous man, it is a painful process to renounce his goodness and confess his guilt, and bare his neck to God's sword of divine vengeance, and say, "O LORD thou wilt be justified when Thou judgest, and wilt be clear when Thou condemnest me; for against Thee, and Thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight;" yet, there cannot be any peace with God till we come to that place: because there can be no peace with the God of truth where there is any deceit or hypocrisy present.  Divine peace must be founded upon everlasting truth and the Blood of God manifest in the flesh.  The fact is, we are guilty, and we deserve the punishment which God issues to our guilt, and we must agree with that truth, as bad as it looks, or else we can never be friends with God.

The next essential thing to our receiving peace with God and His justification is this:  the prisoner is guilty, his sentence is pronounced, and he admits the righteousness of that sentence.  He is then asked if he has anything to say why the sentence should not he executed, and he stands speechless: and now comes the abounding Mercy of God, who, in order to provide us His peace, finds a sinless Substitute to bear our penalty and lay down His life for us, and the Holy Spirit reveals to us these gracious Gospel facts:  The Creator God became a human being; His name was Jesus of Nazareth.  The Lord Jesus Christ, the divine Savior of the whole world, voluntarily took upon Himself our nature, and came under the Law, and by a divine act JEHOVAH laid upon Jesus the iniquity of us all.  God Almighty puts His sinless Son into the sinner's place. Our sins having been laid on Christ, He has taken them away. In Jesus' own body He bore our sins on the tree. His five bleeding wounds spoke clearly what He suffered; His marred countenance revealed His inward grief, and His cry, "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" shows us what He endured when He stood and died in the sinner's place, as our Sin-bearer and our Atoning Sacrifice.

When the LORD through the work of the Holy Spirit enables our soul to perceive our guilt, and that Christ stood in our place, that is when the work of Salvation is beginning. Christ died "the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God;" for God the Father "made Jesus to be Sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the Righteousness of God in Jesus." Christ Jesus was "made a Curse for us: as it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." Christ hath once suffered for sin, and His Blood is the sole foundation of our peace with God.

The point where faith comes into contact with God's divine pardon is when faith trusts to the Precious Blood and believes and receives that the Son of God did come and stand in the sinner's place.  When faith receives Christ's Substitution for itself, and rests in what Jesus has done, and says, "Now I see how God is just, and how he smote Christ for my sins instead of me.  I have personally sinned against God, and I have no righteousness at all. But  I now trust Christ's Righteousness, and I am now be Justified freely in God's sight for Jesus' sake."

Now, there stands the guilty one who has owned his guilty sentence, and he has seen his sentence of capital punishment executed upon Another, even Christ Jesus the Lord. What now?  He takes his place as no longer liable to that sentence. The penalty cannot be exacted twice.  It is neither in accord with human or divine justice that two individuals should be punished for the same offense unless both were guilty. When God devised the plan of Substitution, the full penalty executed upon the guiltless Substitute was clearly intended to bring free forgiveness and pardon to guilty sinners.

So there stands the man who was once guilty.  He is no longer condemned, because Another has taken upon Himself the condemnation to which He was exposed.  The Lord Jesus Christ came voluntarily under the Law, He obeyed and fulfilled the law, and according to the infinite purpose and will of God the Righteousness of Christ is freely imputed to the believer. Christ Jesus stands in the sinner's place, the believing sinner stands in Christ's place.  As the LORD GOD punished Christ as though he had been a sinner, though He was no sinner, and dealt with Him severely as a sinner, so now the LORD looks upon the believing sinner as though he were righteous as Christ Himself, though indeed he has no righteousness of his own; yet God loves him, and delights in him, because he is covered with the robe of his Redeemer's Righteousness, that has no spot or wrinkle or any such thing.

This is the wonderful message of the Gospel from the word of God. It is this Gospel where genuine faith can feed and rest peacefully.  The faith that trusts to Jesus's Blood and receives Him is free from sin's condemnation, for Christ has paid for our sins in His own body on the tree. That believing soul is now righteous before God, for the righteousness of Christ is his by the divine miracle called Imputation. Without any works of your own you can be justified freely by faith in Jesus' Blood according to the Righteousness of faith.  This is the wonderful exchange:  the putting of Christ where the sinner was, and the putting of the sinner where Christ was. And, now, what does the Heavenly Court say to the once condemned criminal? The Court says, "That sinner who believed on Jesus is no longer guilty; he is eternally absolved and acquitted for Jesus' sake, and all charges against him have been dropped, he is free to go."

Freely Given

Now understand - if we ever receive anything spiritually from God, it must be freely given to us and never earned; therefore, all self righteousness and carnal boasting is excluded.  All praise, glory and honor must be ascribed to the Lord Jesus Christ, and not self.

Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:  and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Who gave Himself a Ransom for all, to be testified in due time.  Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.  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 of His Son.

But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.  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.  Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many. 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?  I will love them freely.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:  whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.  But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.  And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.  Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.  And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.  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.  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?  Freely ye have received, freely give.  Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

To give knowledge of salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.  I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water.  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.  The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.  Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

I am the Good Shepherd:  the Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.  And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever.  Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. I have given them Thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.  Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.  I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ.  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Now He that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.  But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.  Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.  And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor.

Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.  For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake.  He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us His holy Spirit.  Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace.  Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.  Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.  In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

But He giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.  If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.  According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue.  God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.  Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of His Spirit.  And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat.  And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

Even a Vapour

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.  Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Surely every man is vanity.

Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good. They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey. Our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death. We all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.

Man that is born of a woman is of FEW days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return. Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them. What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave?

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow.

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.  Life is Short, Death is Sure, Sin the Curse, Christ the Cure.  Only one life, and it will soon be past, and only what is done for Christ will last. 

Only A Sinner Saved By Blood

Now understand -- God Incarnate’s Atoning Blood must come between your soul and God’s Divine Justice, or you will have to pay for the sins you have committed forever.

Divine Justice 

God Incarnate’s Atoning Blood

Sinful Man

A ‘transgression’ is a crossing over of the line which God has laid down in His word.  An ‘iniquity’ is a want of equity, that is, a lack of the “right spirit” within which God alone can give, and without that right spirit, right thoughts, right works and right actions are impossible.  A “sinner” is a creature which commits crimes against its Creator.  You have provoked God to anger by your transgressions and iniquities:  you have not loved Him with all your heart, you have rejected His Son’s bleeding love and free Salvation, you have set up your will against God’s will, and you have continually insulted and blasphemed God by your words and actions.  Now understand - a sinner can only be saved from the wrath to come by Blood, that is, the Precious Blood of God manifest in the flesh - The LORD JESUS CHRIST Himself.

You may conceal your real character from your friends and relatives, but God knows all about you.  The only claim you have upon God is Justice.  You are a Felon against the Majesty of Heaven.  You have been caught red-handed, and you have forfeited all your rights.  Judgment and Punishment are the only rights you can now claim.  You are simply in the hands of God awaiting your death sentence.  The Ten Commandments will be swift and sure witnesses against you at the Judgment bar of God.  You can never solve your sin problem on your own - you need the power of God - Christ Jesus Himself.

Picture yourself standing in front of a firing squad of ten men, where you are condemned to die for your crimes.  There are ten loaded rifles pointing directly at your heart. You begin to sweat and tremble and cry out for mercy.  Likewise, you stand now condemned before God, and His Ten Commandments are all aimed right at you where you stand; they are ready to unload their justice on you at any time.  You are dreading the coming doom that you know you deserve, and all God has to do is speak the word, and His swift and awful punishment which your sins justly deserve will be meted out upon your soul.

But then a Substitute steps forth, and stands in front of you, and willingly takes all the bullets that your crimes deserve.  The name of that Substitute is Christ Jesus, God manifest in the flesh. This is only an illustration to help show you what Jesus did for you on Calvary’s Cross.  No Gospel is ever preached where Substitution is omitted.  Sinners must be plainly and simply taught that Christ Jesus bore their sins and guilt, and died as a Substitute in their place to bear their sins away.  Divine Love found a way to have mercy on my sinful soul through through the blood of Calvary's Lamb. *Colossians 1:14*

Years I spent in vanity and pride,
Caring not the Lord of glory was crucified,
Knowing not it was for me He died on Calvary.
Mercy there was great, and grace was free,
Pardon there was multiplied to me,
there my burdened soul found Liberty - At Calvary.

The Lord Jesus Christ has met the severe demands of God’s divine justice to the uttermost.  God the Father requires perfect obedience to His holy Law, and Jesus lived that pure and spotless life for us all.  The offended majesty of God’s divine Law demands retribution and punishment for our violations of the Law, and Jesus’ sinless life and perfect Atoning Sacrifice on Calvary’s tree has fully paid the penalty due to our sins.  Jesus by His obedience magnified and glorified the Law, and by His bloody death, He has completely satisfied divine justice. *Colossians 1:20* His innocent blood fully atoned for our sins; He has suffered everything that we deserved to suffer, and now God will accepted His substitutionary sacrifice for the sinner who believes in Jesus.  God Himself in the flesh for sinful man a bleeding Victim made. Let me give you some good advice, trust your soul with Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh.  Come to the Cross now, look up and see Pity divine in Jesus' face.

Jesus suffered in my place, I trust in His Blood, and now divine justice demands that I go free forever.  Through the Blood Atonement of His Son, God has made a way by which He can satisfy all the demands of His inflexible justice, yet still bestow His mercy upon the guilty.  As Creator and Judge, God has the right to punish the guilty, but as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, He has the right to pardon the ungodly without violating His justice in the slightest degree.  God is willing to hand down a pardon even for you if you will receive and trust to His dear Son.  God gave His sinless Son to die for the crimes you have done.  Simply take God at His word.  On the Cross, the debt was paid for my sins fully.  The work was finished and the whole debt was paid, and the only thing left for you to do is to trust what Jesus has finished, and then praise and glorify Him the rest of your life out of gratitude to His forgiving love.

How can divine justice ever smile on a sinner?  When Jesus bore our sins and offered up Himself on Calvary, He made full reparation to God’s broken Law, and rendered complete Satisfaction to God’s offended justice.  Jesus took all the divine vengeance that our sins deserved.  All the thunderings and lightnings of God’s divine vengeance were launched at Jesus on Calvary that day, and now divine justice is fully satisfied, because the dear Lamb of God endured the full penalty of all your guilt. That is what Jesus meant when He cried out, “It is finished!”, when He was dying upon the Cross for you.  I no longer owe any debts to divine justice, for all my debts have been paid with Jesus’ Atoning Blood. There is no longer any condemnation for me, for the Lord Jesus Christ has suffered on my behalf all the punishment that was due to my sins.

If God had dealt with you with His strict justice without any mercy, you would not be living upon the Earth right now.   God is inflexibly stern in His justice, but He is gracious to us sinners for Jesus’ sake.  You must believe on Jesus, for God could never forgive your sins without exacting a harsh penalty for them.  God hates your sins so much that He had to allow His Son, Jesus, to become Sin for you, that is, He bore your sins in His own body on the tree, and then He died to pay for those sins, so His enemies could be freely forgiven through His own life’s blood.   Jesus endured the full penalty for all my sins (past-present-future).  Because of Calvary, God is Just, and also the Justifier of every sinner which believes in Jesus.  God’s justice is so inexorable that it cannot be persuaded or affected by human entreaties or works.  Inexorable means unbending, severe, unrelenting, inflexible, rigid, unappeasable, unflinching.

The only thing that can appease God’s wrath that now abides on your sinful soul is the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.   If you had only committed one sin in your entire life, God’s justice is so severe that it would have to condemn you for that one solitary offense. If you had only sinned once in the past, and the remainder of your life was faultless, divine vengeance would still be pursuing you, and the wrath of God would abide on you.  Unless you have a sincere interest and saving faith in Christ’s Blood, you are condemned where you stand right now.  The soul that sinneth against God, it shall die.  But Jesus Himself loved you and bled to death in your place, and now God is able to righteously and freely pardon the guilty, only because Jesus met all the claims of divine justice on your account.

Man’s religions make up a god who is loving but without any Justice.  But the God found in the Holy Bible is severely dreadful in His wrath while at the same time, He has provided a way through His beloved Son that He can be gracious, merciful, and compassionate to His enemies.  The God of the Bible must your punish your sins; He will never violate the principles of His eternal justice. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do Right?  The Cross is where the Goodness and Severity of God shook hands.  At the Cross, we see both the bleeding love and divine justice in the person of the Lamb of God.  What are you going to do with all your sins?  At the Cross, there's a dear bleeding God and hope of pardon even for you.

Christ the great Mediator shed His own life's blood and came between us and God’s fierce justice and took all the consequences due to our sins, and endured all our sins’ death penalty.  Trust your immortal soul upon Jesus’ Atoning Sacrifice, rest implicitly on His Blood with simple childlike faith, and your soul is safe forever from the wrath to come.  Now understand – The Holy Spirit must first prepare the sinner’s heart by plowing the field of the heart with His ten black horses – The Ten Commandments – and then by cross plowing that same field with His white horses - The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Waiting Patiently

Good things come to those who wait - 

on the Lord Jesus Christ. 

I have waited for thy Salvation, O Lord.  Wait on the Lord, keep His way: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.  Our soul waiteth for the Lord Jesus Christ: He is our help and our shield.  Rest in the Lord Jesus Christ, and wait patiently for Him from heaven.  And now, Lord Jesus, what wait I for? my Hope is in Thee alone. I waited patiently for the Lord Jesus Christ; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.  I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in His word do I hope.

My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning.  Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and He shall save thee.  O Lord, have we waited for Thee; the desire of our soul is to Thy name, and to the remembrance of Thee. The Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for Him. O Lord, be gracious unto us; we have waited for Thee: be Thou their arm every morning, our Salvation also in the time of trouble. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord.  Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my Salvation: my God will hear me.  Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for Him.  For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.  For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

Good things come to those who wait -
on the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Will Your Good Outweigh Your Bad?

One breakage of the perfect law of God involves transgression against the whole of it (James 2:10). In order to be saved by works, there must be an absolutely perfect, continuously perfect obedience to all of God's divine law, in thought, and word, and deed; and that obedience must be rendered cheerfully, and from the heart at all times. This is what Christ Jesus did for you while He lived here on earth. You cannot keep the perfect Law of God, because you're a sinner. Please read on to see if your good will outweigh your bad at the White Throne Judgment.

“Cursed is every man that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them.” (Galatians 3:10) Unconverted man, are you guilty, or not guilty? Have you continued perfectly “in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them?” You wouldn't dare plead, “Not guilty.” But at times human nature is bold enough to do so. Only the Holy Ghost can convince a man he is a sinner.

Do you know what the Law really is? The human unregenerate mind may understand the outer shell of the Law, but remember that within the Law it is spiritual; there is a much broader and deeper spirit of the Law than the mere words on the written page of the Bible.

Please take a few minutes and look into God’s Holy Mirror (The Ten Commandments) and see if you have broken it at all …

1st Commandment - “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” What! Have you ever loved anything better than God? Have you ever made a god of your belly, or of your income or business, or of your family, or of your own Self? Oh! surely you do not say you are guiltless here. Whatever you throw money at is what you love most. Have you always put God first in your life, and loved Him with all your heart, soul, mind, strength, and wallet? Of course not – Only Jesus Christ kept the 1st Commandment perfectly. The Bible tells us that no sinner has ever kept this commandment (Psalm 14:2-3). Have you loved your neighbor, or been selfish with your time and money? Th 1st Commandment means we should love God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Have you always put God first in your life? Anything we love more than God is a self-made ‘god’.

2nd Commandment - “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” What! Have you ever in your whole life set up anything in the place of God? If your conscience would speak to you truly, it would say, “You have been a mammon (money) worshipper, you have been a belly worshipper, you have bowed down before gold and silver; you have cast yourself down before man's honor and applause, you have bowed before sinful pleasure, you have made a god of drunkenness, lust, uncleanness, or unchaste pleasures!” Who is God to you? Have you created a god in your mind to suit yourself? When we set up an ‘I-dol in our heart’ (I, Me, Self, My way) - this is called idolatry.

3rd Commandment - Will you dare to say you have ever taken the name of the Lord thy God in vain?  If you have ever sworn profanely, yet surely in common conversation you have sometimes made use of God’s name when you ought not to have done so. Have you always hallowed that most holy name - Jesus Christ? Have you ever called upon God without necessity? Have you ever read God's words with a trifling spirit? Have you ever heard His Gospel without paying hearty reverence to it? Surely you are guilty here. Have you taken God’s holy name in vain? Have you ever used “God,” “Jesus,” or “Christ,” as a cuss word? (“Oh my G-d!, GD!, or JC!) If you’ve taken God’s name in vain, what you’ve done is taken the name of the God who gave you life, and used it as a cuss word to express disgust. That is called blasphemy, and if you’ve done it, that makes you a “blasphemer.” In Psalm 139:20, the Bible says that God’s enemies take His name in vain. Have you ever used God’s name as a curse word? Oh, my G-d! or Jesus Christ! This is called Blasphemy. We will give account to God for every idle word that we speak in the day of Judgment.

4th Commandment – And as for that Fourth Commandment, which relates to the keeping of the Sabbath — “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,” — have you ever broken it? Oh, just shut your mouth and plead guilty, for these four commandments were enough to completely condemn you! Do you set aside a day each week to sincerely worship God? Have you ever done any work on the sabbath? “The Law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul.”

5th Commandment - “Honour thy father and thy mother.” What! Will you say you have kept this commandment throughout all of your youth up until now? Were you ever disobedient or rebellious in your youth? Have you ever kicked against your mother’s love, and striven against your father’s rebuke? Turn over the pages of your history till you come to your childhood: see if you cannot find it written there. Ah yes, and in your manhood too, you may confess that you have not always spoken to your parents as you should, or always treated them with that honor they deserved, and which God commanded you to give them. Have you always honored your father and mother in all things? Honor means to make them proud, and not to shame or grieve them. Have you ever brought your parents shame? You may have forgotten all the sins of your youth, but God hasn’t. The pure light of God’s Law shines and shows us all the unseen dust in the air (heart sins) of our life. Have you always honored your parents in a way that is pleasing in God’s sight? What about all the secret sins of your youth (disrespect, defiance, rebellion, selfishness, disobedience, secret hatred, backtalk)?

6th Commandment - “Thou shalt not kill.” – You may never have killed anyone, but have you ever been angry at someone or hated them? He that is angry with his brother is a murderer; you are surely guilty here. We break God’s law with our thoughts and intents about people, as well as our actions. Have you ever wished someone was dead?

7th Commandment - “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” You have committed unclean things and you are this very day stained deeply with lust; but if you have been chaste, I am sure you are not guiltless. Has no lascivious thought every crossed your mind? Has no impurity ever stirred your imagination? Surely if you should dare to say No, you would be brazen-faced with impudence. Have you ever looked at someone and had lustful thoughts? If you’ve ever looked with lust, that makes you an “adulterer” in heart. Jesus said, “Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28) Lustful imaginations are adultery of the mind. Remember - God sees and hears your thought life (Proverbs 15:3). “God shall bring thee into judgment with every secret thing. God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ. Having eyes full of adultery."

8th Commandment - “Thou shalt not steal.” – Have you ever stolen anything (no matter how small)? Candy, time at work, money, items from work, school, or store. If you have, that makes you a ‘thief’. Have you stolen your own life from God, which He gave you and lived it all for yourself? If so, you have robbed God. All have sinned; there is no man that sinneth not. You have done the deed, you have committed robbery. But if you have tried to be honest, yet surely there have been times in which you have felt an inclination to defraud your neighbor, and there may have been some petty, or maybe some gross frauds which you have secretly and silently committed, on which the law of the land could not lay its hand, but which, nevertheless, was a breach of this Law. Have you ever stolen anything? (No matter how small the item, or how long ago?) Stealing just one thing (regardless of its size or monetary value), according to God’s standards, makes you a “thief.” In I Corinthians 6:10, God says, “No thieves… shall inherit the kingdom of God. Be honest now - Have you ever been lazy on the job and stole time and pay?

9th Commandment - Have you ever repeated a story to your neighbor’s disadvantage, which was untrue? Have you ever misconstrued his motives? Have you ever misinterpreted his intentions? Have you ever told a lie? (White lies and exaggerations count.) Telling just one lie, according to God’s standards, makes you a “liar”. In Revelation 21:8, God says, “all liars shall have their part in the lake of fire. In Proverbs 12:22, Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD. Have you ever told a lie in all your days? Have you always been perfectly honest in all of your dealings with others? If you have ever told a lie (or exaggerated), that makes you a liar. The Bible warns in Revelation 21:8, that “All liars shall have their part in the lake of fire.” “For by the Law is the knowledge of sin.”

10th Commandment - And who among us can dare to say that he is guiltless of the last of the Ten Commandments — “Thou shalt not covet?” for we have all desired to have more than God has given us; and at times our wandering heart has lusted after things which God forbidden. Why, to plead not guilty, is to plead your own foolishness; for surely, my friend, the very reading of the law is enough to condemn your sinful soul. The Law makes all of us cry, “Guilty O Lord, guilty! I need your mercy now.” Have you ever coveted anything that belonged to another person (their spouse, house, car, clothes, health, job, toys, looks, or anything)? The Bible says the “covetous” will not inherit the kingdom of God. Covetousness (secret unlawful desires) leads to selfishness and greed. God sees our thoughts and desires. Covetousness is where all sin begins. Have you jealously desired ‘anything’ that belongs to others (spouse, health, position, looks, house, car, money, clothes)? Greed is a result of covetousness (playing the lottery, gambling).

Almost everyone thinks they’re a good person in their own eyes. But the question we should be asking is this: “Am I good enough to go to Heaven?” How would you know? The way to find out is to ask yourself if you have obeyed the Ten Commandments (God’s Mirror). Most people say things like this, “Well, if anyone’s good enough to get to Heaven, it is me. I try to do my best everyday, but we all make mistakes. I’m not as bad as some people. Everyone sins at one time or another; we’re all human.”

If you are honest with yourself, you will admit that you cannot keep all of God’s commandments perfectly. The Bible says, “There is none that doeth good [moral perfection], no, not one. Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” God’s law demands perfect righteousness in order to enter heaven. You have no real righteousness to offer God, because your sin has defiled you. Only the Lord Jesus Christ lived a perfect, sinless life. You must go to Jesus Christ for “True Righteousness.” You need God’s holiness in order to meet God safely at the Judgment. You can only receive God’s holiness as a free gift; you cannot earn it, because you’re a sinner; you’ve already sinned in your past. Your self-righteousness is no good. Only a man’s self-righteousness can damn him, and only Jesus’ righteousness can save him. You’re in a precarious situation, because you’ve broken God’s law, and rejected God’s Precious Son. Isn’t it true, that every time, you’ve lied, deceived, stolen, or been greedy, lustful, or dishonest, you knew it was wrong? The Bible says, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good [conscience], and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” “The law entered that the offence might abound.” “Christ died for the ungodly.”

After reading this, do you still think your good will outweigh your bad at White Throne Judgment? Do you think you’ve kept all the Ten Commandments perfectly? When God judges you by His holy standard, will you be innocent or guilty? What is your eternal destiny going to be…will you end up in Heaven or Hell when you die? The greatest sin anyone can commit is Rejecting or Neglecting God’s Son. Your sins made Jesus bleed; flee now to His Cross for eternal safety.

Only One Person ever kept the commandments of God perfectly on Earth and that was God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus of Nazareth was God manifest in the flesh; He shed His atoning blood, so He could forgive your sins freely. He died for your sins and then rose from the dead the third day according to the Scriptures. Only simple faith in His Perfect Righteousness and Precious Blood ‘alone’ can save you from your sins. Your sins deserve eternal hell fire and wrath. JESUS suffered your penalty on Calvary’s Cross. Come to Him now and exchange your guilt for His grace, your sins for His righteousness. He rose from the dead the third day. He is willing to save now. The Bible says, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." “Ye must be born again.” Please don’t turn Jesus away. Rely and depend on Him alone. Come to Him just as you are with all your sin. Let Him wash your soul and heart clean in God’s blood. Trust Him alone!

Snippets of Truth 4

Doing right, right now, is better than planning to next week.  A Holy Spirit-led witness right now is better than having to say, "I wish I would have witnessed to that man before it was too late." Humility, diligence, perseverance, integrity, and a godly motive will bring victory in the end. Always be willing to do everything you ask of those you lead.  Do more than is required of you.  Always be prepared to pray and witness on the spot.  Be a good soldier of Jesus Christ, and serve and fight for right whithersoever He sendeth you. If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.  Do your full duty for Jesus Christ, and the rest will take care of itself.

When in doubt, always pray and ask God for His wisdom, help, and some sanctified common sense.  It is the Holy Spirit's presence and power that ensures the victory, not some man-made religious activity.  We must overcome the tug of worldlings against us if we are going to please God.  As long as you are trying to do right, you won't be able to find time to do wrong.  To be a successful Christian soldier, you must know the Bible, the Lord, and yourself.  You can only win souls by face-to-face witnessing for Jesus; a lost man will never forget when he received a Holy Spirit-led witness for Jesus Christ. Character is doing right a minute longer when you're tempted to do wrong.  Never stop serving Jesus until the rapture or the grave.

A living Savior cannot exist in an inactive Christian.  A Christian continually learns about character by practicing character.  Let Jesus lead you, follow Him, and stay out of His way.  Good success depends on obedience to God's words, God's speed, godly simplicity, and a good courage.  Something done for Jesus is better than anything done for self.  Live for Jesus rather than die for your own conceits.  Moral integrity is the most valuable and usually the most absent characteristic in men today - moral integrity is the essence of practical Christianity.

The invisible pins of the Law come from the Holy Spirit and poke holes in the stuffed shirts of religion and deflates them.

The Holy Spirit's preparations (enlightening, convincing, humbling, persuading, quickening) to save a lost soul may take a while, but the New Birth happens instantly the moment a sinner believes on the Lord Jesus Christ.  The carnal mind says, "When I get my life straightened out, I will get saved."  But its too late, for you have sinned against God, and what's done is done.  When it comes to sin, you are as helpless as a butterfly in a hurricane. Christ Jesus is our only shelter from Sin.

No good work was ever done by someone that just warmed a church pew.  Say what you mean and mean what you say.  Success is determined by how you respond when you hit rock bottom.  Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.  Never underestimate or overestimate the devil and his crowd. Do your best for Jesus in a humble manner all the time. Fight against your sins continuously, relentlessly, without rest, keep on warring a good warfare to the end.  For a Christian, retreat is an impossibility, keep on advancing the Gospel for Jesus' sake.

Every sinner's most immediate need is divine Mercy, and that Mercy is only accessible through faith in the most Precious Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh.  Christ died for the ungodly; Ye must be born again; Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.

Inward and private purity is the supreme test of a man's character.  No man in his right mind is unafraid when he begins to witness for Jesus, but the love for the Gospel and the Savior produces in him a good courage, then the ambassador asks the Holy Spirit for His help, and beseeches the lost soul in Christ's stead to be reconciled to God. A real Christian witness is the man who witnesses even when he is scared.  Serve Jesus as good as you can, and a little bit more, that's all you've got to do.  There are two kinds of people in the world - the givers and the takers:  the takers may eat better, but the givers always sleep better.

Once or maybe twice, God will reach out and tap a man on the shoulder, and if that man has wisdom from above, he will turn around, and God will point out to him what fork in the road he should take, and if he has the guts, he will take it. Lost souls may be witnessed to by Christians, but they are won to Jesus by the work of the Holy Spirit. It is the man who lets the Holy Spirit lead him that gains the victory.  Many Christians wind up in defeat by knowing too much about too little.

In Thy Sight

What God Almighty sees and knows about us is far more important than what man sees and thinks.  Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my Strength, and my Redeemer.  And Abraham said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in Thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant.  Lot said, behold now, Thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and Thou hast magnified thy Mercy.  Moses said, now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in Thy sight, shew me now Thy way, that I may know Thee, that I may find grace in Thy sight: and consider that this nation is Thy people.

The foolish shall not stand in Thy sight:  Thou hatest all workers of iniquity.  Arise, O Lord; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in Thy sight.  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.  Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight: that Thou mightest be justified when Thou speakest, and be clear when Thou judgest.  Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in Thy sight when once Thou art angry?   Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in Thy sight.

And Jesus said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.  For thy heart is not right in the sight of God.  For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.  But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.  But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.  Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.  I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour.

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.  But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.  Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my Strength, and my Redeemer.  And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord: that it may be well with thee.  And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord.  What God Almighty sees and knows about us is far more important than what man sees and thinks.