THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS
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A man was driving his first-grade granddaughter to school. While he was driving he was listening to a sermon on the radio. The preacher was talking about all the benefits that Christians had in living REAL LIFE. The man didn't really think his granddaughter was listening.
But, just before they got to the school, the granddaughter said, "Papaw, wouldn't it be great if we weren't Baptists so we could be Christians?"
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John 5:24
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."
KJV
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When a person is looking for a job, he wants to know what kind of benefits are offered by the employer (health insurance, vacation pay, sick leave, retirement plan, etc).
There are many benefits to being a Christian. But of them all, two stand out very strongly: acquittal from all sins, and everlasting life.
Knowing that Christ forgives and cleanses daily (1John 1:9) gives us tremendous relief from the burden of guilt. It allows us to live life more fully.
Realization of everlasting life releases us from the finality of death. If we believed that death was the end of life, then what would be the point of living?
Christ's offer of everlasting life is to everyone and anyone upon the same conditions: believing His "WORD," and believing that God's compassion demands salvation being offered of and by Himself for our benefit.
The man who refuses to confess sin daily puts himself in the position of being beyond forgiveness.
Have you ever noticed that in the sky, clouds keep coming. One will be whisked away by the wind or even dissipate, but then another is soon coming in its place. That is the way sin is in our lives. We are sinners. Sinners by nature and by choice. Even when we are saved, we are saved sinners. The clouds of sin keep coming in our lives because we are who we are. If we don't ask God's forgiveness, pretty soon the clouds will build to a big STORM. But if we admit our sin and ask forgiveness, the clouds are swept away daily.
Let us remember that the receipt of everlasting life brings that wonder of acquittal of sins. Go to Christ daily, confessing sin and pleading forgiveness. Live everyday realizing that eternity with Christ depends upon HIS accomplishments and not ours.
Love ya,
Bruce