Holy Spirit Led discussion: Sin and Salvation.

            Do you KNOW where you are going to go when you die- heaven or hell? Do you believe you will be raptured up when Jesus comes to get His bride,which can happen any day now? I really believe strongly that the rapture is imminent by the signs of the times, internationally the people falling away and becoming more selfish and less loving. I do NOT want anyone to miss the rapture, and end up going through the great tribulation period where it will be the most horrendous period in human history where most will NOT survive, or go to hell for eternity should they die before the rapture even occurs(without Jesus).

            The problem with mankind is that fact that EVERYONE, absolutely everyone is a sinner- it says so in the bible. The problem is with the sin and Adam and Eve, who were the father and mother of ALL mankind. God told them to not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but they had permission to and were encouraged to eat of ALL the other trees(genesis 2). Satan at that stage took on the guise of a serpent and then tempted Eve to eat the tree, and she fell for the temptation and at herself  and also she gave one to Adam, who also ate(in theory he could have refused the fruit from Eve but did not). Then they found out they were naked(because of disobedience), and were ashamed of their condition. They covered themselves and hid from God’s presence in shame. The following happened in Genesis 3

(Genesis 3:8)  And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

(Genesis 3:9)  But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?"

(Genesis 3:10)  And he said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself."

(Genesis 3:11)  He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"

(Genesis 3:12)  The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate."

(Genesis 3:13)  Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Note in the above, how all  they did was to  made excuses and blame others(Adam blamed Eve, who blamed the Serpent) but NEVER did repent or take responsibility for   what they had done. Because of this,and  owing to the fact that Adam and Eve were the first of mankind all following are then born into sin, and none are able to do righteous on their own.

(Rom 3:10)  as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one;

(Rom 3:24)  and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

            This created a problem for God who loves us, more than we can imagine His creation so very much, and it grieved Him very deeply that none was righteous. At first, He imposed a system of animal sacrifice- see the book of Leviticus on that. That did not work. He also tried making covenants with man directly. That idea failed as well.

            God, being a loving but just God did have to find SOME way to deal with Man’s evil and sin problem as these scriptures indicate

(Galatians 5:19)  Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,

(Galatians 5:20)  idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,

(Galalatians 5:21)  envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

In fact the book of revelation describes their sad eternal destiny

(Revelation 21:8)  But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

These are the reprobate who never accepted the Lord Jesus, and quite possibly those who did and fell away completely

(Hebrews 9:27)  And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

(Romans 6:23)  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The above sets of verses give an idea just how serious God considers sin, and the dire consequences of being in sin are! In fact if one is not careful one can be hardened in sin and God can give them over to such things

(Romans 1:21)  For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

(Romans 1:22)  Claiming to be wise, they became fools,

(Romans 1:23)  and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

In ways I myself was guilty of this, I knew of God before I was saved but sure did not glorify Him and lived for things. However God was persistent with me, and even though I resisted witnessing for a number of years, I would eventually surrender to it and cave in. It did take persistence and a number of different people to achieve that end.  The true hope of the sinner is God’s true love for Him which is expressed here

(Romans 5:8)  but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

His love for us is why He gave us His only begotten son!

(John 3:16)  "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

(John 3:17)  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.

Jesus would teach that he ALONE is the only way to the Father(and to heaven)

(John 14:6)  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus is always seeking for people to come to him, as it says in Revelation chapter 3

(Revelation 3:20)  Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

It is necessary for believers to be born again to see God, as it is explaned in John chapter 3

(John 3:3)  Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

(John 3:4)  Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

(John 3:5)  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 3:6)  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

(John 3:7)  Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'

The act of being born again means accepting Jesus as your Savior, turning/repenting of your sins, and believing that God has raised Jesus from the dead

You yourself cannot earn this- one’s works are never, ever enough to cancel out the effects of our sins.

(Isaiah 64:6)  We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

After all God, being holy, expects us to be perfect to love Him with ALL strength, mind, soul, and such, as well as our neighbor as ourselves. This is all a gift of  His grace(and not our works)

(2Corinthians 9:15)  Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

(Ephesians 2:8)  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

(Ephesians 2:9)  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Faith is the key to pleasing God and to accept this gift of salvation

(Romans 10:17)  So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

(Hebrews 11:1)  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Also faith is the only way to please God.

(Hebrews 11:6)  And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

As it states the key to salvation is to confessing Jesus as Lord with your mouth and believing by faith God has raised Him from the dead. Here are the verses from Romans 10

(Romans 10:9)  because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

(Romans 10:10)  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

(Romans 10:11)  For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame."

(Romans 10:12)  For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.

(Romans 10:13)  For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Such a powerful promise there that all who call on the name of the Lord Jesus shall indeed be saved. This is echoed here in the old testament

(Joel 2:32)  And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls.

The following indicates it is God’s will for all to be saved and that Jesus comes as mediator between man and God:

(1Timothy 2:4) who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

(1Timothy 2:5)  For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

(2Peter 3:9)  The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

To sum up, everyone has all fallen short of God’s glory but God has made a provision for all to come back to fellowship and relationship with Him through His only Son Jesus’ sacrificial act on the cross at Calvary. So why not just accept this free gift of grace, mercy and love from Your heavenly Father by  praying this following prayer with me now?

Dear God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived; I need your forgiveness. I believe that your only begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin. You said in Your Holy Word, Romans 10:9 that if we confess Jesus as our Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we will be saved. Right now I confess Jesus as the Lord of my soul. With my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior and according to His Word, right now I am saved. Thank you Jesus for your unlimited grace which has saved me from my sins. I thank you Jesus that your grace never leads to license, but rather it always leads to repentance. Therefore Lord Jesus transform my life so that I may bring glory and honor to you alone and not to myself. Thank you Jesus for dying for me and giving me eternal life.
Amen.

Congratulations on making the biggest and wisest decision of your life. It is but the beginning. Always seek to draw closer to Jesus by praying, remember now He is your new and closest friend and by spending lots of time in the word. Be careful of all false doctrine and teaching but always trust the Holy Spirit which now indwells in you. Pray to see if you are led to a Christian church to be baptized by immersion, and please do it over, if just sprinkle baptized, for that does not count. The full baptism is an act symbolizing dying to one’s sins and coming up a new man in Christ, so it is important. Also ensures witnesses to your decision to commit to Christ.

Another thing you need to do is continually repent, ever day, after every time you might stumble, as you will, I can say that myself. I have stumbled and sinned but repented each and every time and God forgave me every time, for He is just to do so. I leave you with these scriptures to back up what I say:

(1Peter 5:8)  Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

(James 4:7)  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

(James 4:8)  Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Lastly here is some excellent advice from the first epistle of John

(1John 1:5)  This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

(1John 1:6)  If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

(1John 1:7)  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

(1John 1:8)  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

(1John 1:9)  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

(1John 1:10)  If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

 Stay vigilant and rapture ready for the rapture will come as a thief in the night. Whether newbie Christian or old please consider and follow prayerfully these following steps- You DO NOT WANT TO MISS THE RAPTURE AND GO THROUGH THE GREAT TRIBULATIONS, which many won’t survive

1. Make sure that you have received Jesus Christ into your life as your PERSONAL Lord and Saviour.

2. Examine your own heart for any signs of backsliding, worldliness, unwatchfulness, compromising, and lukewarmness.

3. REPENT (Turn COMPLETELY away from sin and turn COMPLETELY around towards Jesus).  Sin separates you from God, even as a Christian.

**4. Study end-time Biblical prophecy until you become completely convinced that His Coming is, indeed, AT THE DOOR.  This will help keep you from temptation and sin.  JESUS IS COMING VERY SOON!!! Lord help me be absolutely convinced YOU ARE at the door!!!!!

5. Do something for the Lord.  (Passing out tracts would be a good start.)

6. Examine your priorities, lest the CARES OF THIS LIFE cause YOU to MISS THE RAPTURE, as we are so adamantly WARNED about in Luke 21, and so many other Scriptures.

7. Draw closer to God by praying, reading His Word, attending a fundamental church as often as possible, and surround yourself with a Christian atmosphere (Christian friends, books, music, radio, TV, etc.)

8. PRAY DILIGENTLY.  ASK THE LORD TO REVEAL TO YOU ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE THAT EVEN MIGHT KEEP YOU FROM THE RAPTURE.  PRAY THAT THE LORD WOULD GIVE YOU A PEACE, IF YOU ARE READY, AND AN UNREST AND UNEASINESS IN YOUR HEART, IF YOU ARE NOT READY.

9. Listen for His voice and then STAY OPEN TO THE LEADING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

10. Act upon that which the Lord is calling you to do. DO IT NOW BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!

If the Lord has planted the least bit of doubt or uneasiness in your heart, will you swallow your pride and pray this prayer with me:

"Dear Lord, Thank you for preparing a WAY OF ESCAPE from the horrible Tribulation to come.  It is my sincere desire to be ready for your Soon Return, so that I can participate in the Rapture.  Give me a COMPLETE PEACE IN MY HEART FROM YOU if I am, indeed, ready.

Let there be no false sense of security in my heart concerning my readiness for Your Return.  Begin to reveal to me things in my life and in my heart that might keep me from the Rapture.  Show me what I need to do to BE READY and then give me the power to act upon that which you show me to do.  Draw me away from the world and closer to you every day.  Use me in whatever way you can to help others who may not be ready for your Return.  Fill me with your peace when I am ready and fill me with YOUR POWER, for victory over sin and temptation, and for effective service for your kingdom.  In Jesus' mighty name, Amen

Thank you for reading this, stay prayerful and rapture ready