Posts Tagged ‘ Sin ’
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace
Ephesians 1:7, ESV
God came to us when we were in full rebellion against Him that He might save save us through His sacrifice by His grace and love.
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24, ESV
Friendship is good, but a lot of friends won’t necessarily make us feel better nor save us from all our sins.
Yet, Jesus has called us friends if we belive in and follow Him and His sacrificial love.
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
Psalm 139:23-24, ESV
Our God lives in us by the Holy Spirit, so He knows us intimately and more than we know ourselves. He works in us to make us more Christ-like, revealing our sinfulness and leading us in repentance.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:23, ESV
We do not have a false hope or a hope only for this life. Our faithful God has promised us eternal life with the forgiveness of sins.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
2 Corinthians 3:17, ESV
Christ has set us free from the tyranny of sin, not as a temporary fix but eternal healing, and we have His Holy Spirit as a deposit of that promise.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.“
John 3:16-18, ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
Jesus came to live amongst us, teaching the truths of God and proving them with miracles, signs, and wonders.
Whether we grow up surrounded by religious teachings or nothing spiritual, it can be difficult to comprehend salvation.
Jesus explained to Nicodemus, and thus to us, that it is pretty simple how to be saved, but we make it oh so difficult.
If we don’t choose to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, fully God and fully man, who is the God we have all sinned against, that He died for our forgiveness and restoration to Himself, and that He bodily rose back to life, we remain condemned to the wrath of God for our sin.
If we don’t believe all of that, we are in danger of not being saved.
Jesus is full of grace, and He is our only source of hope and forgiveness.
God came to us as a man to save us by taking our punishment on Himself, and we must believe this to be saved.
It is not difficult to understand, but we don’t want to admit our faults or that it can be so easy to be saved yet difficult to live by God’s standard.
May we seek the Lord who has saved us from wrath and given us the path to eternal life.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
Isaiah 9:2, ESV
We all walk in the darkness of sin, unable to break through. God came to us in the Person of Jesus, the source of light breaking through our darkness.
By this light we are saved from sin.
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
John 3:5, ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
Jesus came to live amongst us, teaching the truths of God and proving them with miracles, signs, and wonders.
Even the religious elite could see it, but they could not understand without help.
If the most religious and smartest could not understand the ways of God, what hope could the rest of us have?
What does Jesus tell us about salvation?
Born of water: baptism does play a role, but this also tells us that only humans can be saved. (Fallen angels cannot be saved.)
Born of the Spirit: only those who believe and receive the Holy Spirit can be saved. (John 16:7-15)
This is difficult to comprehend, but only by trusting the Holy Spirit and the truth of the gospel of Christ can we inherit eternal life in Christ.
Jesus came to bring us life free from sin and in eternity with Him.
Christ has come, and we must seek the wisdom of His Holy Spirit and forgiveness of sins. (James 1:5; 1 John 1:9)
May we seek the Lord who has offered us His Holy Spirit, salvation, and eternal life.
But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.
Matthew 2:22-23, ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
Jesus came to live amongst us, bringing danger to His earthly family.
Though one danger may pass, it does not mean all danger is gone.
We still see that God protects His own.
The one who tried to kill fellow image-bearers in an attempt to destroy God had died, but his just as twisted son took his place.
God once again sent a dream to Joseph to protect this family. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were still not completely safe, but in this moment we can see that God keeps His promises.
God was not surprised by any of the events surrounding the birth and early childhood of Jesus. In fact, He had it prophesied centuries earlier.
There were still those who would hurt the young Jesus and God’s faithful servants.
This world may not be safe, and we also know that this world is not our home, but we can rely on the promises and prophecies of God.
Again, Christ has shown us how to live and trust and love in the midst of danger.
May we seek the Lord who has saved us from sin and shown us His power over time, death, and evil.
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Matthew 2:1-2, ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
Our sins have stacked up to heaven, deeper and more vile than we could know.
But God was not willing to leave us mired in our sin.
God came to us, born as an infant, weak, physically powerless, yet without sin.
And wise men came to see this miracle, to give honor and gifts.
Most people miss that our Lord has come to be with us as one of us.
We often still ignore Him.
We may not have much to offer but our sin, and maybe we have great wealth and/or skills to give, but only the wisest seek God who has come.
May we seek the Lord who grants wisdom to the lowly and grace to the humble.
a simple man of God 