When I was born, my family celebrated…but there wasn’t in truth much to celebrate. You see, I was born into a life of hopelessness, of sin. Every man has a sin nature and is destined for hell when they set foot upon this earth; whether born in royalty, wealth, poverty or oppression, in health, in sickness…whatever race, whatever ethnicity. It doesn’t matter who your earthly parents are…it doesn’t matter what the color of your skin is or the size of your bank account or how well you dress, or talk or can persuade people.
You must be born again!
Man’s very nature is sin…he cannot help it and that sin will take him to hell no matter how good, how nice, how kind…he or she cannot help it…there must be an atonement for man’s sin and it is a high price that has already been paid by Jesus himself.
The price that Jesus paid when he died on the cross saved us from judgment and from spiritual death. WHY SPIRITUAL DEATH IS VITAL TO US? It is because we are all spirits…we live in a body which is the seat of our soul, our will, our emotions. We are spirits living in a mortal body….a body that will one day wear out…but God’s intention is for us to live on forever.
You see…the price of sin is death of man ; any man who has not had that price paid. Any man who has not had that sentence commuted.
The world defines Salvation as: Preservation or deliverance from destruction, difficulty, or evil.
Christianity defines it as:
Deliverance from the power or penalty of sin; redemption.
Salvation interpreted came from the Greek VERB : Sozo….it is a word of action which means:
to make new, to protect, to preserve, to heal to save, to love, to make joyous, to have control, to worship, to be made pure…everything good that comes from God.
God wants to make you anew. He wants to protect you. He wants you to be preserved. He wants you healed. God wants you to be saved. God loves you. God wants you to have continuous joy. God wants you to be whole in every way with nothing missing, no deficiencies. God wants you to have control. He wants you to worship. He wants you to have everything good…His best. This is salvation and if anyone has told you different…they have not understood His plan for your life.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
John 1:12 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:
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
1 John 5:11-13 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Ephesians 2:8-9 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.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions”
It’s not a quote that can be attributed to anyone. It’s more or less an expression of society that has been passed down.
But,…the funny thing is …it is true
I know a lot of good people. I know of a lot of people doing good …but that’s not the criteria for getting into heaven.
SALVATION!! 