*A note to those who are strong in your faith...I know this does not cover every area but this will get one moving in the right direction if they so chose!
May 21, 2012
Well life is passing by fast! Haha I guess that is better than the other choice huh? I have been wanting to talk to you about your faith for a long time. The right time just never seems to present itself, that is why I have chosen to write this letter to you. God has been laying you on my heart for quit sometime. If what I say speaks to you great. If not just let it go in one ear and out the other. I just want to make sure each of you understands everything the Bible teaches about our relationship with God. I know this is a long read but take your time! Also, in writing, I will be able to take my time and cover everything-hopefully not leaving any base uncovered. I will use the Bible to make my points. So, here we go.
You both are good folks. I believe most of you would help anyone in need-which is good. But you must understand that in God's eyes none of us are good enough to get to heaven on our own goodness.
Romans 3:10-11
10 As it is written:
“There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
Romans 3:23
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
So as you can see on our own merits we are worthless before a Holy God, matter of fact God's word says we are like filthy rags before Him!
Isaiah 64:6
But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.
So how do we get right with God? There is only one way which I know you guys already know....Jesus Christ. I want you to know though it takes more than just a head knowledge of Jesus it must be a relationship with Him. For God tells us in His Word that even the demons believe in Jesus:
James 2:19
You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!
There is nothing, as we have seen earlier, we can do to save ourselves. But God in His great love for us gave us, a free gift which is His Son Jesus. All we have to do is receive this free gift in our hearts!
Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You see because of our sin against God we deserve death. Let me explain a little further. Way back at the beginning of time when Adam and Eve were created, they were in paradise. Everything was perfect. No sin = perfect life. Mankind was designed to live in perfect harmony with God forever. But when Satan tempted Adam and Eve in the garden, they sinned. It brought about two kinds of death...the first being spiritual. They now were separated from God because of their sin. It also brought about physical death. Now a time would come when they will die...they would have lived forever without sin. So through the old testament God had laws for them to live by that He gave to Moses....the ten commandments and the sacrificial system which man could not keep. God requires blood to cover sins and that is what the sacrificial system did. All these things are pointing the way for when Jesus would come and shed His blood once and for all for mankind. So because of our sin we have death...spiritual and physical, but God has provided Jesus to cover both for you and I....that is love! Would you give one of your kids for a sinner? NO! But God did. It does not matter the sin either. Mankind puts value on sin...thinking one sin is worse that another...but to a Holy God it does not matter...a lie is just as bad as murder. Hard for our human minds to understand that but it is the truth. Another verse to kind of sum up what I just said:
Romans 5:8
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Now there are some things that must be done to receive Christ. Check this verse out:
Romans 10:9
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
First we must admit to God we are a sinner. We all sin and we must humble ourselves before God and admit we are sinners. Then we must confess with our mouths and believe in our Jesus! There are some essentials we must believe about Jesus.
- Sinless son of God
- Born of a virgin
- Died on the cross for our sins
- Was buried in a tomb
- Resurrected on the third day
- Appeared to many to prove His ressurection
- Acsended back to heaven and is now preparing a place for us
- One day soon He will come back for His own
- Judgment day is coming, Jesus will judge and those who don't know Him will be sent to hell.
Matthew 7:21-24
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Very important to understand you can't fake out God....He knows our hearts!
Now when we receive Jesus as our Savior God tells us we should repent of our sins. Repent means confess our sins, be sorry for them, and turn away from them not to do them again.
Luke 13:3
I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
Acts 17:30
Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent
2 Corinthians 7:10
For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
Revelation 3:19
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
I have to ask are you sorry for your sins? Have you turned away from you sin? Now this does not mean you will live a perfect life, from time to time you will sin again and you will have to confess your sin to God, and He will forgive you.
1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Let me show you some things God says is sin. Don't pass over them lightly.
Romans 1:28-32
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
Galatians 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
God also tells us to watch what we are putting into our heads and what is coming out of our mouths!
Romans 8:5
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
1 Timothy 6:5
useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.
Revelation 2:23
I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
Ephesians 4:29
Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
So ask yourselves two questions...Am I putting into my mind the things of God? Think about TV and the Radio...are these things putting good, godly things into your mind or ungodly things?
Then ask yourself what is coming out of your mouth? Things that build people up or things that tear people down?
So we see the sin God wants out of our lives what are some good things God wants to see lived out in our lives as followers of Christ?
God's word uses the word fruits. These are works God expects to see from us as evidence of our faith.
Matthew 7:15-17 You Will Know Them by Their Fruits
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
This verse not only applies to those who are preaching God's Word falsely but also to those who think they are Christians but are not!
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Now it may take a little time to develop all of these fruits. But as a follower of Christ they should be evident in our lives! Look at each one closely...are they in your life daily? God makes it clear in His Word we are to be different than the world when we are followers of Him.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Romans 12:1-2 Living Sacrifices to God
12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
One last thing God makes clear in Word. If we love Him we will be a part of the church. When we accept Christ God has a purpose for us in the church, a place for us to serve.
1 Corinthians 12
Spiritual Gifts: Unity in Diversity
12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: 2 You know that
you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
Unity and Diversity in One Body
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.
15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.
To sum all of that up....you have a place to serve in the church that Jesus built and died for! Are you? God makes it clear we are to be in church faithfully!
Hebrews 10:25
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
The day approaching here is Jesus's return! It is coming soon!
I know I have covered a lot here. Please don't just skim over it. Pray over it, ask God to reveal to you if there are places you need to work on. As men we are to be the spiritual leaders of our houses, are you doing that. Getting your family to church, teaching them about God, being examples?
Ephesians 5:27-29
27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.
1 Peter 3:7
[ A Word to Husbands ] Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
Deuteronomy 6:6-8
6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
My brothers this letter comes with all the love I have. I should have written it a long, long time ago. Make sure you are right with God I beg of you. Eternity is a long time. We have the choice to follow God or not. You are without excuse and so am I before God. If you have any questions call me. I love you both and will always be here no matter what life may bring.
God has blessed your family greatly, let us make sure our lives are a blessing to Him!
Love Tom
No comments:
Post a Comment