Category Archives: Freedom

Faith, Freedom, God's Power, Hope, Jesus, Joy, Love, Salvation

What Will You Do?

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.” (John 3:16-18 HCSB)

God loves us enough to warn us of the consequences of living a life apart from Him, and in His Sovereignty, He allows us to chose whether or not we will believe Him, or not.  With every choice we make we also choose the consequences that comes with that choice. So, what will you do?  It’s your choice…

 

Faith, Freedom, God's Power, Jesus, Money, Peace, Salvation

Eternal Destiny

“But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26 HCSB)

Wow! What a great lesson God has in store for us, today.  Jesus spoke a truth that we all need to hear and understand.  So lets look at the context in which He said what he said in today’s verse.

A wealthy young man, whose name is not mentioned, came up to Jesus and asked Him what He had to do to get to heaven.  Jesus told the young man to keep all the commandments.  The young man asked, “Which ones”, to which Jesus replied, “Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother; and love your neighbor as yourself (all the moral law).”  Arrogantly, the young man told Jesus that he kept all those commandments and asked what else he had to do to get into heaven.  Then Jesus told the young man,

“If you want to be perfect,” Jesus said to him, “go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me (Matthew 19:21 HCSB).”

When the rich young man heard Jesus’ command he turned and walked away sad because he was very rich and did not want to give his riches up to follow Jesus.  To him, money was his god.  His faith and confidence was in his martial wealth, not in Jesus.

Then Jesus turns and says to His disciples:

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “I assure you: It will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven! Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:23-24 HCSB).”

Let me explain what this means.  It’s not because someone is rich that they cannot enter into heaven.  It is because they believe that money is the answer to all their problems and they hoard it.  Money has become their God, it’s what they live for every day.  When the disciples heard what Jesus said, they were astonished and confused, so they asked Jesus who, then, could be saved.  Jesus responded with today’s verse,

“But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26 HCSB).””

There are many thing that are out of our control, but there is nothing that’s out of God’s control.  The salvation of our souls is one of those things.  Money may be able to solve all kinds of problems, but our eternal destiny is one only God can solve, and He already did.

Our eternal destiny cannot be bought by any amount of money.   Our lives, our souls, are much more valuable to God than mere money.  There is no amount of money that can be printed by all the countries tries of the world that can equal the value of one life, one soul.

The salvation of our souls and destiny in heaven has already been bought and paid for in full.  God loved us so much that He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to die on a cross as full payment for our sins, thus forgiving our sins.  Jesus was then buried and three days later, He rose again from the dead in order to assure us eternal life in heaven.

Do you want to secure your place in heaven?  Here’s how God says it can be done:

1. Recognize that you’re a sinner and thank Him for sending Jesus, His only Son, to die on the cross in order to pay the ultimate price for your sin (Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8) and raising Him from the dead in order to give you eternal life (John 3:16-18; John 11:25).
2. Tell Him that, at this moment, you willfully and intentionally choose to stop living your life in rebellion against Him and choose to start living your life as His disciple; that you commit to seeking Him, every day; following Him, every day; and that you will strive live in immediate, radical, costly obedience to Him and only Him, no matter the cost – even if it costs you your life (2 Corinthians 5:15; Romans 10:9-10). Then, do it.
This is the only way you can become God’s child (John 1:12) and experience the fullness of His love, goodness, joy, peace and perfect care. Do this right now!

If you didi this, please let me know in a comment below so that I can pray for you.

In Christ’s love,

Phil Covone

Awareness, Christian Living, Doing Good, Freedom, Hope, integrity, Salvation, Tests

How Well Do We Know Ourselves?

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.” (Psalms 139:23-24)

Because of our sin nature, every one of us has a skewed view of our selves.  Sin is what is familiar to us, which blurs what’s important.  Because of our sin nature, we excuse the wrong we do and lessen our guilt for doing it.  This is what is normal to us.  The result of this is that we see ourselves very differently than others do, and even how God does.  There could be, in each one of us, an evil habit, or a strong pull to do what is wrong in God’s eyes, which, if not dealt with, can overpower and destroy us.  Not only that, there could also be something in our hearts or lives, that causes us to think less of ourselves, nullifying our ability to be an influence for good.  Here’s the thing, we may not even be aware of all this.  Look at what God tells us about ourselves, through the Prophet Jeremiah:

“The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9).”

The very next verse (verse 10) aught to cause us to tremble, and to be grateful at the same time:

“I, Yahweh, examine the mind, I test the heart to give to each according to his way, according to what his actions deserve Jeremiah 17:10).”

  1. “Tremble” because He is going to judge us and punish us according to whether we live our lives according to His will, or our will.
  2. “Grateful” because He loves us enough to warn us and give us the opportunity to drop our own way of living and live according to His ways.

The reality is that we do not know ourselves as well as we portray ourselves to.  Therefore, the wise thing to do on our part, is to ask our Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent God to do for us what King David begged Him to do for him in today’s passage of Scripture.  King David asks God to do four very important things for Him:

  1. “Search me, God, and know my heart;” – He asks God to search the very depths of his heart – that God would search every part of his being, leaving nothing about him unstarched.
  2. “test me and know my concerns.” – He asks God to test and see that he is not representing himself as a God loving, God fearing man, when he is not.
  3. “See if there is any offensive way in me;” – He asks God to make sure there is nothing in himself that is offensive to God.  He does not want to offend God in any way.
  4. “lead me in the everlasting way.” –  King David asks God to put him on the path to, and lead him on the way to eternal life. In others words, He wants to live according to God’s will, which will lead him to an eternal life in heaven with God.

King David was afraid of breaking God’s heart again, and becoming useless to Him. How well do you know yourself?  Is there anything hidden in your life that is hindering you from being an instrument of God for good?

Will we all have the courage to ask God for what King David asked Him?

In Christ’s love,

Phil Covone

Faith, Freedom, Hope, Joy, Peace, Salvation

Forgiven and Covered

“How joyful are those whose lawless acts are forgiven and whose sins are covered!” (Romans 4:7)

Though the Apostle Paul is quoting King David, from the Book of Psalms, this verse is applicable for us, today.  The context of Romans chapter four is faith.  Abraham was justified, or found not guilty of sin, by believing and trusting God.  When God told Abraham to get up and move to a land far away from his own, Abraham did not argue with God. He got up and went, no questions asked.  Faith drove Abraham to immediate, radical, costly obedience to what God had ordered him to do.  God blessed Abraham for his immediate, radical, costly obedience.

 

Today’s verse is one of those that aught to make us jump for joy because it speaks of God’s amazing grace and love.  Let’s take a look.

  1. “How joyful…” – this is a type of joy that cannot be extinguished by any difficult circumstance we might find ourselves in.  It is a joy that comes from knowing God.
  2. “are those…” – these are the people who by faith:
    – believe and accept the fact that they are sinners in need of a Savior (Romans 3:23).
    – believed and accept the fact that Jesus was sent by God die on a cross for the forgiveness of their sins (John 3:16-18; Romans 5:8).
    – believe and accept the fact that Jesus was buried and rose again from the dead to give them eternal life (John 11:25).
    – believe and accept the fact that this is a free gift from God, something that cannot be earned, nor bought (Ephesians 2:8-9).
    – made a commitment with Christ to seek Him every day, follow Him no matter where He leads them, and strive to live in immediate, radical, costly obedience to His commands (Matthew 7:21; Luke 6:46).
  3. “whose lawless acts are forgiven…” – those who, by their faith (above), and God’s unmerited favor, have been forgiven for their willful disobedience to Him.
  4. “and whose sins are covered.” – and also who by faith have had their offenses towards God covered by the blood of Christ.

God also gives us assurance of our salvation, through faith when He says:

“I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life (1 John 5:13 HCSB).”

Jesus also says:

“My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one (John 10:27-30 HCSB).”

Friends, true joy comes from having the assurance that when the day comes for your life to end, you will pass from an eternal life in hell, to an eternal life in heaven, with Christ.

Would you like the same assurance of eternal life?  Here’s how God says you can have it:

1. Recognize that you’re a sinner and thank Him for sending Jesus, His only Son, to die on the cross in order to pay the ultimate price for your sin (Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8) and raising Him from the dead in order to give you eternal life (John 3:16-18; John 11:25).
2. Tell Him, in your own words, that at this moment, you willfully and intentionally choose to stop living your life in rebellion against Him and choose to start living your life as His disciple; that you commit to seeking Him, every day; following Him, every day; and that you will strive to live in immediate, radical, costly obedience to Him and only Him, no matter the cost – even if it costs you your life (2 Corinthians 5:15; Romans 10:9-10). Then, do it.
This is the only way you can become God’s child (John 1:12) and experience the fullness of His love, goodness, joy, peace and perfect care. Do this right now! You will not regret it.

***Please, let me know if you have any questions***

In Christ’s love,

Phil Covone

Christian Living, Encouragement, Freedom, God's Power, Hope, Love, Satan's Attacks, Strength, Struggles, Tests

Who Are You Going To Call?

 

“The name of Yahweh is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are protected.” (Proverbs 18:10)

Are you a Christian feeling hopeless, helpless, thinking you have no one to turn to, and no one to call?  THINK AGAIN!  Have you forgotten whose child you are and the name you carry?  Through today’s verse, God wants to remind you of some things you may have forgotten that have caused you to be where you are.  Here’s what He wants you to know:

  1. “The name of Yahweh…” – it alludes to the Person of God, His Character, His personality, and all His attributes.  He is Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Love, Merciful, Kind, and Just, who loves and cares about His creation.
  2. “is a strong tower;” – another one of His attributes.  A metaphor meaning that, He is the one and only Person in which you can seek, and find, refuge from the attacks of our common enemy, the Devil.
  3. “the righteous…” – Those who have placed all their faith and confidence in Him. He sent His One and Only Son, Jesus, to die on a cross, be buried, and rise again from the dead, in order to defeat the power of sin and death, and give us eternal life and protection (John 3:16-18).  
  4. “run to it and are protected.” – The Strong Tower of protection (God) is accessible only to those who, by faith in who He is, run to Him.  These are those who have placed their faith in Christ for salvation, and surrendered their lives to Him as their Lord, and Master (Romans 10:9-10).  Only these will receive God’s Omnipotent protection from the relentless attacks from the Devil.  

Sadly, many of us Christinas do not run to, or even call upon, God for help when we’re under attack by the enemy.  We tend to turn to friends who are as far away from God as we are, or alcohol to forget, or drugs to numb the pain, or isolation to hide the guilt and shame. This only leads to a much deeper and more difficult problem, depression.  Too many of us end up in a dark, cold, lonely place, and suffering such an excruciating pain, that they cannot see or find an escape.  God wants you to know several things:

  1. Hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness, guilt, and shame are often mental and emotional illusions, created by the Devil to keep you from running back to God.  Because you are a child of God, the Devil cannot have you, so he wants to destroy you and your testimony.  DO NOT LET THAT HAPPEN!!! Call out to God and run to Him, NOW!!!
  2. God wants you to run to Him, just as you are.  Don’t try to “clean-up” before you run to Him because you can’t.  He will clean you up when you ask Him to forgive you for straying from him.  CALL OUT AND RUN TO HIM, NOW!!!
  3. DO NOT LET THE DEVIL’S LIES KEEP YOU FROM GOD!!! God alone is your refuge and protection.

***If you have reached the stage of depression, God wants you to find a Christian Psychiatrist, and or counselor.  Your pastor should be able to help you with that, if not, you can find one online.*** 

So, who are you going to call?  Who are you going to run to?

In Christ’s love,

Phili Covone

Awareness, Christian Living, False Prophets, Freedom, God's Word, Temptation, Tests, Wisdom

Test

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1)

The book of 1 John was written to address several problems with believers.  One of those problems was the preaching and teaching of false prophets, especially those teaching  against the incarnation of God in Christ Jesus.  This is confirmed in verses 2 and 3:

“This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. But every spirit who does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist; you have heard that he is coming, and he is already in the world now (1 John 4:2-3).”

There are many religious leaders out there who claim to be Christians, yet deny the incarnation of God in Christ.  According to God in verse 2 and 3, those who deny His incarnation are false prophets, and are an anti-christ because the Spirit of God (Spirit of Truth) is not in them, but the spirit of deceit.

In verse one, God, through the Apostle John, tells us that we are not to believe everything we hear from our religious leaders because they are fallible human beings.  God Himself warns us about human nature.  Here’s what He says about us,

“The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it? I, Yahweh, examine the mind, I test the heart to give to each according to his way, according to what his actions deserve (Jeremiah 17:9-10).”

This is why we must test everything any religious leader, or teacher, by comparing it with what God’s Word actually says.  Here in is the problem, though.  Most Christians do not want to take the time to read and study God’s Word.  They just want to go to church, sit down, and open their mouths, like little birds, to be fed and don’t even know what kind of poison they’re being fed.

So, how do we recognize these false prophets? Jesus also warns us about false prophets and tells how we can spot them:

“Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So you’ll recognize them by their fruit (Matthew 7:15-20).”

A false prophet is rarely known just by their false teachings, but also by their lives.  If they’re living contrary to the Word of God, they are false prophets.  We must always be aware so that we do not fall prey to them.

So, take a moment to ask yourself if you’re under the teachings of a false prophet.  If you are, run, and find another Bible believing church that will teach you how to study the Bible correctly, so the you can know the truth, and obey it.

In Christ’s love,

Phil Covone

Anger, Blessings, Christian Living, Encouragement, Freedom, Obedience, Peace

Be Angry

“Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the Devil an opportunity.” (Ephesians 4:26-27)

For many of us, anger is a very serious and dangerous problem.  Unfortunately, some of us have allowed our anger to fester and poison our hearts and minds.  Consequently, we have lost our families, loved ones, friends, jobs, and ruined our reputations to the point that it is difficult for people to trust us anymore.

I think that in today’s verse, God, through the Apostle Paul, offers us some insight on where we might have gone wrong, and how to keep our anger in check in order to ovoid future problems. Here’s what the God is trying to teach us.

  1. “Be angry…” – anger is an emotion given to us, by God which we cannot just put away.  God is telling us that it is OK to be angry, but He gives us three things to keep in check.
  2. “and do not sin.” – #1: God knows that because of our sin nature, our anger, for the most part, is used for all the wrong reasons. For example, vengeance against those whom we believe have wronged us, power over one another to either control one another, destroy one another, kill one another, etcetera, etcetera.  These things are not acceptable to God, in any way, and no sin will go unpunished.
  3. “Don’t let the sun go down on your anger,” – don’t let your anger linger and fester because, with time, it will blow up and cause irreversible damage.  We must make things right with God and the person we’re angry with, before the end of our day.
  4. “and don’t give the Devil an opportunity.” – uncontrolled anger is a weakness that the Devil likes to exploit in us.  He will get in our heads and start telling us that we deserve to use our anger in whatever way we see fit, but fails to tell us the consequences of our actions.  The Devil is a liar and a murderer.  He knows that he can’t take those of us who are Christians to hell with him, but he can break our relationship with God, shame us, kill our spirit, kill our joy, destroy our testimony, and keep us from living in the center of God’s will.

For those of us who have allowed anger to destroy our relationship with our families, loved ones and friends, I want to share with you what I did to restore my relationship with God, family, loved ones, and friends.

  1. Get a legal pad notebook and pen
  2. Get in a quiet place to pray
  3. Pray for God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:8-9)
  4. Ask God to bring to your mind all the people that hurt you in you life
  5. Write the name of each person and what they did to hurt you (this may be very painful, but keep going)
  6. When you’re done, put your hand over the page, or pages, and ask God to help you forgive this people.
  7. Then, with your hand still on the page(s), tell them all that you forgive them the same way that Jesus forgave you (Colossians 3:13)
  8. Ball those pages up, take them outside, and burn them, and let it all go.

Note: Do not show those pages to anyone.

Then, do the same things for people you have hurt. Give yourself a day or two before you stat this process.

  1. Pray for God’s forgiveness for hurting the people on your list (1 John 1:8-9)
  2. Pray for God to bring to your mind those who you’ve hurt (do not exclude anyone)
  3. Write their names down and how you’ve hurt them
  4. Pray for God’s strength
  5. Begin calling every person on the list. Set up a time, and agree on a neutral place, in which you can meet
  6. Get together and ask their forgiveness
  7. Continue doing this until you’re finished with the list

Remember:

  1. You’re not responsible for their response, just your obedience to God
  2. You may not find everyone on your list, but God knows your heart
  3. You don’t need their forgiveness because God has already forgiven you.
  4. You’re doing this to free yourself from the chains that bind you to that person

When you do this, you will be totally and completely free as Christ wants you to be free, not just for your benefit, but for His honor and glory.  You will be free to love and serve Him as He deserves.

In Christ’s love,

Phil

Blessings, Christian Living, Encouragement, Freedom, Obedience, Peace

Happiness

“Happy are those who keep His decrees and seek Him with all their heart.” (Psalms 119:2)

As former pastor, and now a missionary, I have had a lot of contact with many Christians in various countries.  One of the things that all Christians, no matter where we’re from, have in common is the lack of joy and happiness.  Many of us spend a lot of time looking for joy and happiness in many different ways like, sports, work, money, sex, drugs, alcohol, power, control, to mention a few.  But, if the truth be told, those things have let us down.

In today’s verse, God teaches us the only way we can actually achieve true happiness and joy.  Although it’s a very short verse, it is powerful.  Let’s take a deeper look at what God says.

  1. “Happy…” – friends, this is a happiness and joy that only comes from God – His happiness is because of the fact that we have chosen to put all our faith and trust in Him.  He is happy with our decision, therefore, we’re happy.  
  2. “are those…” – the word, “those”, is exclusive.  What God gives comes with a condition. 
  3. “who keep His decrees…” – condition #1: those who live in immediate, radical, costly, obedience to His commands.  God, throughout the Old Testament, demanded immediate, radical, costly. obedience from the Israelites, and in the New Testament, Jesus demands immediate, radical, costly obedience from all who have put their faith and trust in Him. Here’s what Jesus had to say:

    “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say? (Luke 6:46).”
    If we think that immediate, radical, costly obedience is not important to a Christian’s life, this next verse should dispel any doubt:

    “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven (Matthew 7:21).”
    Remember that we are not saved by works, but by faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross.
  4. “and seek Him…” – condition #2: this means to seek His will for our lives with the sole purpose of obeying it in and immediate, radical manner, no matter the cost.When God reveals His will to us, there is nothing to pray about, except about how and where He wants us to do it.  Then, we do it!!!
  5. “with all their heart.” – condition #3: that our motivation fro everything we do must be love for Him, for what He has done for us.   

To sum it all up, God is telling us that true happiness and joy is achieved only when, with all our hearts, we seek God’s will and strive to live in immediate, radical, and costly obedience to His commands.  But, this must be motivated by our love for Him and what He has done for us, not for our benefit, but for His benefit, and the benefit of others.

So,

  1. how are we going to obey today’s Scriptures?
  2. With whom are we going to share today’s lesson?
  3. With whom are we going to share the story of our salvation and the story of what Jesus has done for us?

In Christ’s love’

Phil

Christian Living, Christmas, Freedom, Love, Obedience, Peace, Salvation

The Most Hated Man in History

 

Contrary to popular belief, Jesus did not come to the world to condemn the world of its sin, but to pay the penalty for our sin, so that we might not be condemned for our sin.  Jesus suffered the full measure of God’s wrath for our sin so that, through faith in that very act of love, we might be saved from God’s wrath and condemnation.  Jesus Himself said:

“For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him (John 3:17).”

He did for us what we could not do for ourselves so that we might be saved.  There has never been, nor will there ever be a greater act of love than what Jesus has done us.  Yet He is hated for it.  Jesus is the most hated man in the history of the world.  Not one of the most evil, hateful, murderous leaders in our world’s history is hated as much as Jesus is today.

Jesus taught

  1. To love our Creator God above all other relationships in our lives:  “He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind (Matthew 22:37).”
  2. To love one another as we love our own selves:  “The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39).”
  3. To love one another as He has loved us: “This is My command: Love one another as I have loved you (John 15:12).”
  4. To love our enemies:  “But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, (Luke 6:27).”
  5. To do what is good to those who hate us: “do what is good to those who hate you, (Luke 6:27).”
  6. To speak well of, and invoke blessings, upon those who curse us:  “bless those who curse you, (Like 6:28).”
  7. To pray for those who mistreat us: “pray for those who mistreat you (Luke 6:28).”
  8. To forgive one another as He has forgiven us: “And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ (Ephesians 4:32).”

This is why Jesus is hated so much.  This is what He lived and taught, and this is why He was persecuted and murdered; and this is why those who are His true followers, those who strive to live according to His moral standard are so hated, despised, and murdered as well.

There are many people who think that when Jesus speaks out against all sexual immorality, drunkenness, lying, cheating, greed, abuse of power, injustice, abortion, murder, and many other things, He is condemning those who practice those things.  He is not, He is simply warning them of the fact that our sinful nature does not allow us to turn away from those things on our own, and that because of that, we are headed to an eternal separation from a God who created us, and loves us, and wants to care for us.

He warns us that there is only one way to avoid God’s wrath upon us, and that is to put our full faith and trust in what He did on the cross to save us from God’s wrath.  Here’s how Jesus explains it to us:

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God (John 3:16-18).”

Do not let the world confuse you and talk you into believing the lies told about Jesus.  There is only one to know Jesus in a personal way, and that’s by:

  1. Asking Him to forgive your sins:  “If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).”
  2. Surrender to His Lordship over your life: “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. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation (Romans 10:9-10).”
  3. Commit to striving to live in immediate, radical, costly obedience to his commands: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven (Matthew 7:21).” 

This is why Jesus is so hated, still.  Do you hate Him?  Will you accept His free gift of salvation this Christmas?  After all, that is why He came. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

***If you have questions, let me know.***

In Christ’s love,

Phil

Freedom, Love, Salvation

God’s Gift To Us

A gift is something given to someone without demanding payment for it.  If we buy a gift for someone and when we give it to them we asked them to reimburse us for it (money, time, effort, etc.), the gift would no longer be a gift, it would be a purchase.  It’s the same way with our salvation.  God’s salvation is a gift from Him to us, and there’s nothing we can do to earn it, buy it, our pay it back.  God, through the Apostle Paul, says,

“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—  not from works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9. HCSB).”

In this passage of Scripture, God answers and clarifies many questions about salvation.  Let’s break it down and take a look at what God is teaching us.

  1. “For you are saved by grace…” – God says that, in the context of salvation, the word, “grace”, means, and unmerited favor from God to us.  It is unmerited favor because there is nothing about us that makes us worthy of being saved from God’s wrath because of our sin nature.  Grace, however, is not at mere word.  In this context, grace is a Person, God’s One and Only Son, Jesus.  God demonstrated His unmerited favor towards us by sending Jesus to suffer and die as full payment for our sins, for the forgiveness of our sin-debt (Romans 5:8).  Jesus is God’s unmerited love and favor towards us – He is grace incarnate (John 3:16-18).
  2. “through faith,” – God says that faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross is how He saves us.  But, this is not just a mere certainty of the existence of something, but a faith that, by our love for Him, we are compelled to put our lives in Jesus’ hands, a faith that compels us to turn away from sin and rebellion against God and strive to live every day in immediate, radical, costly obedience to His commands (2 Corinthians 5:15, 17). 
  3. “and this is not from yourselves;” – God says that there is nothing that we can do to salve ourselves.  In fact, God says that everything we do to merit our salvation, He considers as “filthy rags”, it is something that He will not accept because everything that needed to be done for the purpose of our salvation, has already been done by Jesus, on the cross. This is what God says about our efforts: “But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; (Isaiah 64:6 NKJV).” God does not accept anything unclean.
  4. “it is God’s gift” – God says that our salvation is free for us because Jesus has already paid for it on the cross.  God paid for our salvation through Jesus’ death on the cross.  
  5. “not from works,” – God says that there is nothing else that can be done for our salvation.  Jesus’ death on the cross was sufficient for God and He proved that by raising Him from the dead on the third day after His death and burial.  God, through Titus said: “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love
    for mankind appeared, He saved us — not by works of righteousness that we had done… (Titus 3:5 HCSB).”
  6. “so that no one can boast.” – God took the responsibility of our salvation off of us, and put it upon Himself, so that He alone would get all the honor and glory.  This distinguishes the relationship between the created, us, and our Creator; between the Savior, and the saved.  

Then, once we decide to put all our faith and trust in Jesus, God assures us of our salvation.  Here’s what God says says about our assurance through the Apostle John:

“I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life (1 John 5:13).”

And if that wasn’t enough, Jesus Himself said:

“My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one (John 10:27-30 HCSB).”

Are you sure of your salvation?  Do you want to be assured of your salvation?  Her’s how God says you can be:

1. Recognize that you’re a sinner and thank Him for sending Jesus, His only Son, to die on the cross in order to pay the ultimate price for your sin (Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8) and raising Him from the dead in order to give you eternal life (John 3:16-18; Ephesians 1:13-14).
2. Tell Him that, at this moment, you willfully and intentionally choose to stop living your life in rebellion against Him and choose to start living your life as His disciple; that you commit to seeking Him, every day; following Him, every day; and that you will strive to live in immediate, radical, costly obedience to Him and only Him, no matter the cost – even if it costs you your life (2 Corinthians 5:15; Romans 10:9-10). Then, do it.
This is the only way you can become God’s child (John 1:12) and experience the fullness of His love, goodness, joy, peace and perfect care. Do this right now!

If you did this, God is so happy with you and wants to start working in your life and through your life. Please send me a message letting me know that you did it so that I can pray for you as you begin a new life in Christ.

In Christ’s love,

Phil