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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