Here the Apostle Paul was showing that he sought to find common ground with whoever he met…whether Jew, Christian, slave, master, weak, or strong in the faith…in order to preach the Gospel to all. Unfortunately as a people, we generally look for petty differences and disagreements than seek out things that we share. But if we would take the time to think about it, we have much more in common with each other than we can disagree about. Finding common ground with one another can also be easier if we ask ourselves this question first…In the eternal scheme of things, does this matter? Sure, there’s some non-negotiables…but really, the vast majority of stuff we fight about makes no difference at all.
Tag: gift of salvation
Acts 4:12 ” Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
There’s no other name, but Jesus. There’s no other way, but through Him. There’s no other person, thing or place that can give you eternal deliverance from God’s wrath and hell. I Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, Who gave Himself as a ransom for all men -” Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the price for your sins… in order that you may have eternal life. Yes, there’s no other name, but Jesus.
Ezekiel 33:12 ” Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, ‘The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it.’ “
God is a God of new beginnings. For there is no one on the face of the earth that is beyond God’s reach. If we but turn away from willfully deviating from the right path…our moral wrongdoing will not be judged.
But in contrast – every wonderful work you’ve done in the past does not entitle you to salvation if you choose to sin…for God is a just and fair God who judges by His own standard of righteousness.
Isaiah 33:2 ” O Lord, be gracious to us; we long for You. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.”
Lord, You are the wind in my sail, the power and might behind my every move. I am the weak, appealing for mercy from the strong. I will patiently wait and hope for You, even when I can not clearly see Your hand working. My trust will be in You and You alone… for You are my strength and my song, and I will continue to praise Your name forever. Amen
Psalm 119: 89 ” Your Word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens…”
To paraphrase Isaiah 51:6…the heavens will vanish, and the earth will wear out – but My salvation will last forever, My righteousness will never fail. The Lord is everlasting and forever…His authority supersedes all that we know and see. His dominion will never end….His love for you will never cease.
Isaiah 25:9 ” Surely this is our God; we trusted in Him, and He saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in Him; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”
Where and in whom does your hope lie today? Do you trust only yourself and your sheer determination to make your dreams reality? Or maybe you trust the world around you to give you everything you desire. Unfortunately, there is no one or thing here on earth that has the ability to deliver you from damnation… for there is only one person that can give you victory over guilt and eternal punishment of your sins. Jesus is that only person that can save your soul.
II Corinthians 6:2 ” For He says, ‘In the time of My favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”
Isaiah echoes this verse in Chapter 49, verses 8 and 9, “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the time of My favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’ ” Today the Lord is extending His favor towards you…offering His grace and kindness in order to deliver your soul from the guilt and punishment of sin. He’s uncovering and revealing to you the sin in your life…He’s shedding light upon your spiritual blindness and beckoning you to come out of the darkness and be free.
Romans 10:9 ” That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Do you admit that you’ve been living a life far from God? Do you accept the fact that you’ve made a mess of your life so far? Do you acknowledge that Jesus came into this fallen world to save your soul from eternal damnation and hell? Do you recognize that saying yes to Jesus and turning from your old life isn’t the end but just the beginning of a brand new life…a life filled with peace rather than strife, and love where there was loneliness and fear. Do you agree that you need a Savior today?
Ephesians 2:8-9 ” For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”
It is simply by God’s unearned and unmerited favor that we have the chance to be saved. It’s by His absolute free expression of His loving kindness towards us that we may come into a right relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ. This divine gift…the gift of eternal life is not to be taken lightly, or with a casualness that doesn’t fully take into account the terrible price Jesus Christ paid for our freedom. The gift of salvation can not be bought with a price…for what Jesus did for mankind was priceless.
John 3: 16-18 ” For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
Jesus Christ didn’t come into the world to judge us. He came to offer us the gift of eternal life and spiritual salvation of our souls. The only thing we must do to be saved is to have faith and trust in Him. There is no one on the face of the earth that is too far from the reach of the Lord…too evil, vile or wicked that His love can’t win. But ultimately, the decision is solely ours. Don’t turn away from this invitation, don’t squander your chance for joy and peace. Say Yes today.
Safetypinlove 