By William F. Holland Jr.
Our Creator is always waiting and willing to bring us back into right standing with Him. Jesus said in Matthew Chapter 18 that He leaves the 99 to find the lost one and brings them back into the fold. How does He do this? He brings conviction into their conscience, they see where they have strayed away from His truth, and they repent and are sorrowful for their disobedience.
“Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be erased, so that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,” Acts 3:19. Why does He do it? Because He loves you more than anything in the world.
Today, if you have accepted what Christ accomplished on the cross and received Him as your Lord and Savior, rescuing you from your sins is exactly what He has done for you. For others who have thought about God throughout your lives, but have never really surrendered your will to Him, this is also a divine appointment with Him. His message? He desires that you trust Him with your mind, heart, and soul. He longs to save you and give you eternal life.
I John 1:9 promises, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” “Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26.
The gospel is not complicated. It’s basically saying that trusting in the sacrifice of Jesus is the only way we can be transformed into a new creation and become a child of God. This is a quote from Jesus, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” John 14:6.
Jesus is the Son of God which came down from heaven, gave His body and shed His blood to offer salvation and redemption to all who will embrace Him. Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus? Does He live in your heart as your Master and King? Do you love God with everything you are and everything you will ever be?
I Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” Our part of this covenant relationship is that we freely give ourselves to Him, not for what He can do or give, but we love, obey, and worship Him for who He is.
God has amazing plans for you! If you feel the Holy Spirit is convicting you to ask Jesus Christ into your heart today, to save you and fill you with His presence, or to repent and rededicate your life back to Him, listen to these passages which declare the truth of His mercy and compassion for you. “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God,” John 3:3.
“And the God of all grace who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you,” I Peter 5:10. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him,” John 3:36. “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life,” 1 John 5:11-12.
There is no greater love than God’s love for us, and there is not a more important decision in this world than to accept Christ as our Savior and Lord. Have you considered the consequences of ignoring His gift of salvation?
We are reminded, our spirit will live forever in one of two places. Romans 10:9-10 describes how we can know, love, and serve God and receive His miracle of eternal life. “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Faith is established in the heart and is accompanied by a profession of the mouth. This is your invitation, come to Him now.
William F. Holland Jr. is an ordained minister, chaplain, and author. Read more about the Christian life at billyhollandministries.com.