God has put a conscience in every man that condemns him when he sins. He knows our secrets and one day will judge them. Our hearts condemn us. We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. He has weighed us in His balances and found us wanting. We all know that we are worthy of death, the wages of our sin.
Death is not some impersonal, automatic consequence of our sinfulness that mechanistically takes place in a godless universe. Death is the work of God as Judge. Physical death is the separation of the spirit from the body. The second death, eternal death in the lake of fire, awaits all who die in their sins because they refuse to repent and turn toward God, doing works fitting for repentance.
All our lifetimes, we fear death. Because it is appointed to man once to die, and then the judgment, we all are in desperate need of good news.
The good news is that God the Father anointed the man Jesus of Nazareth, who was also the Son of God, with the Holy Spirit and with power. As the Anointed One, the Christ, He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him. He is the Christ who died for our sins, was buried, rose again on the third day, and was seen by many trustworthy witnesses.
Christ died and rose again so that He might be the Lord, the Judge who has authority over all who are dead and alive. Having been raised by the Father, He now sits in heaven at the right hand of the Father, who has set Him as the King.
He is the Son appointed by God as the Judge of the living and the dead. He has authority in heaven and earth to forgive the sins of everyone who believes in His name. One day, the Son will judge the secrets of men and condemn unrepentant sinners to eternal punishment.
The Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son in order that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honors not the Son honors not the Father who has sent Him. Truly, truly, Jesus says to all, “He who hears my word and believes on Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and will not come into condemnation, but is passed from death to life.”
These things Jesus says that you might be saved. With the Son of God on your side, no one else will ever be able to condemn you.
To be blessed, you must serve the Father with fear and rejoice with trembling. You must also submit to and trust His Son. He has the keys of death and hell. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who believes not will be damned.
God made His Son, who never sinned, sin for you that you might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Jesus will save you from your sins if you will repent toward God and believe that God has raised Him from the dead.
Confess that Jesus is the Lord and He will give you the gift of eternal life. Call on the name of the Lord and be reconciled to God today!
Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
The total depravity comment I am still curious about. I believe the Holy Spirit is what convicts us of sin.
I certainly believe in total depravity (Ps. 51:5). The Holy Spirit is the One who convicts us of sin.