Whoever is Born of God does not Sin

The book of First John, written by the apostle John, had caused me much grief. To me, it always seemed so black and white. Listening to the wrong people just added to my confusion. According to this verse in the title, they will tell you that if you sin habitually, then you aren’t saved.

In addition, a number of popular preachers teach that I John demonstrates ten tests for determining salvation. One has come up with twelve tests to evaluate your salvation.

A reviewer summarized these twelve tests as follows [My answers are in parenthesis]:

Do you walk in the light? [Not all the time. It can change moment by moment.]
Do you confess your sins? [Not always]
Do you keep God’s commands and are not burdened by them? [Not all of the time]
Do you walk as He walked? [Absolutely not! Jesus is perfect. I am not.]
Do you love other believers? [Most of the time]
Do you reject “the world”? [More so now than I did when I was a younger believer.]
Are you remaining in fellowship with believers and persevering in your faith? [I am, but I cannot guarantee I will do so until the day I die.]
Do you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart what the Scriptures testify to about the Christ? [I do. This is basically the same as the last test.]
Are you growing in holiness? [I have, but it makes me see more of my wretchedness.]
Are you growing in your practice of righteousness? [Sometimes, but not always.]
Are you overcoming the world or is the world overcoming you? [I am overcoming the world at this moment. That could change in a nanosecond.]
Do you believe the Gospel? [Yes. It’s the only way to be saved.]

The Only Important Test for Salvation

According to these tests, I have failed miserably over 71 years of my life. It’s only the last test that can offer anyone assurance, because it’s the only Biblical requirement to be saved from the penalty of sin – to understand and believe the gospel. [See Assurance to be sure of your salvation]

The Purpose of the Book of I John

The book of first John was written to believers for the purpose of fellowship with God (1:3-7). It was written to encourage them to abide in Christ. Fellowship and abiding is basically the same thing. It focuses on the ongoing relationship [sanctification] a believer has with the person of Christ after they have become a child of God by faith in Jesus Christ [justification]. See post, The Battle of the Two Natures

What is habitual sin?

I struggled with this verse for a long time -“Whoever is born of God does not sin“. (I John 3:9) Most will not go as far to say that you will never commit sin, but they will use this verse to say that you cannot habitually sin. According to them, if you habitually sin, then you were never saved. They are the ones who usually define habitual. I sometimes ask people how often one has to sin in order for it to be habitual – once an hour; once a day; once a week; once a month? I never get the same answer. How would it even be possible to know?

For that reason, we know it cannot mean habitual. There’s no way to determine what habitual means. John is also clear that we do sin. He says in chapter one, “if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us“. So to say we do not sin, is not a Scriptural option. We all sin even after we are saved. Biblical characters exemplify this as well as experience as a human being.

What does it mean, ‘does not sin’?

The third option to understand I John 3:9 is to see the difference in the meaning between ‘do’ and ‘practice’. The Greek word for ‘do’ is “poeio” [4160] and is found in this verse. The Greek word for ‘practice’ is prasso [4238] and is not in this verse. Strong’s concordance explains the difference – prasso, means to “perform repeatedly or habitually“, thus differing from [4160] poeio, which properly refers to a SINGLE ACT. Thus, the verse would actually mean, “whoever has been born of God does not do a single act of sin“.

Since we do sin, the only conclusion one can come to is that it is impossible to sin when one is living out of the resources of the new nature, whatever is born of God. “Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh”. (Gal. 5:16) It’s impossible for the new nature to sin, because it is God’s nature. The reverse is also true; we can only sin when we are living out of the resources of the old nature, the flesh.

How do I know I am saved?

God absolutely desires for us to live a holy life. There are consequences for sinning. It should be the desire of every believer to live a committed and faithful life, out of a thankful heart for what God has done for us. But the truth is that we are still sinners by nature and by practice even after we are saved from the penalty of sin.

The only accurate way of determining if someone is saved is to see if they have understood the gospel and believed it. All other ways lead down the road of self-examination. Have I done enough? Am I doing enough? Am I sinning less? Have I confessed all my sin? Did I really repent? Was I sincere? Those things will only lead to a performance driven life that causes more doubt than assurance. It may also lead one to think they are saved [I am doing many of these things], but have failed to place their faith in Christ and His work on the cross.

So my question to you is, “Have you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ?” If you are a believer, are you desiring to live a life out of gratitude that glorifies Him and is good for you? For more on how to be successful at living the Christian life, check out the video, Living with Hope in a Hopeless World.

Assurance of Heaven; be sure that heaven is your final destination.

In 68 pages, Vanished When Millions Go Missing will help you understand the times in which we are living. It will show you how the world is being conditioned for the rapture and the second coming of Christ.

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Read an excerpt of ‘When Millions Go Missing’

Because many people are concerned about the conditions of our country and our world, I decided to put together a short book addressing the soon return of Christ. Vanished When Millions go Missing discloses 15 factors from Biblical prophecy that appear to be converging, indicating that we may be living in the end days. In the book, I suggest that God is using world affairs to bring about the end times just as the prophets foretold.  

It demonstrates how the world is being conditioned to accept a one world government and a one world ruler who will appear to have supernatural powers and great ability to solve world problems. It is concise, well-documented, and easy to understand, while covering a wide range of topics from a possible Russian invasion into Israel to demonic deception to the Mark of the Beast to the rapture. Although these things can be frightening, the book shows that the Christian can have hope in Christ and the promise of His coming.  

Read an excerpt of Vanished When Millions Go Missing

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Giants in the Land

An article in the Irish post, titled “Meet the Giant – the world’s tallest moving statue, built by Irish hands, stands over ten stories high. The head and the arms of the statue can move and a matrix of millions of LED lights gives it the ability to instantly change into any man or woman. It can transform from Spiderman into any regular Joe in a matter of seconds. All one has to do is to enter a booth where a digital scan will reproduce your face to appear on the giant.

Two Beasts

Is this conditioning the world to interact with a future similar entity? In the future the apostle John saw two beasts rising up; one from the sea and one from the earth. (Rev. 13) The first beast is commonly referred to as the antichrist. The second beast is identified as the false prophet who gives his allegiance to the first beast [antichrist]. (Rev. 19:20)

An Image Designed to Speak and Destroy

The false prophet will command earth dwellers to make an image of the antichrist. He will have the power to give ‘breath’ to the image so that it should speak. The image will also have the ability to – “cause as many as would not worship the beast to be killed” (Rev. 13:15).

It is like the 90 foot high gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar made. Anyone who refused to worship the image was cast into a fiery furnace. (Dan. 3:5) But only in this time of world history, due to the advancement of robotic and artificial intelligent technologies, is it possible for an image to carry out the death penalty. Some suggest that it will issue a command to execute those who will not worship the image [itself].

This company plans to have these giant images in 21 cities around the world. They are designed for entertainment. However, one can only imagine the role these giant images might play in the future when the one world government and the tyrannical rule of the antichrist takes place. Statues of great size, like that of King Nebuchadnezzar, are designed to intimidate. History always has a way of repeating itself. The creation of these giant images that speak appear to be setting the world up for another Biblical sign of the times.

Our Hope

As believers in Christ, we are to be “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works” (Titus 2:13, 14). Jesus Christ is coming for His church before this image is set up in the middle of the seven years of tribulation. Be patient. “Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (James 5:8).

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Are You Concerned about the Future? 

Did you know that several major rivers are drying up as the Bible prophesied 2600 years ago? Vanished When Millions go Missing reveals that a number of ancient Biblical prophecies are on the verge of being fulfilled. Current world events are conditioning the planet for a future global government and the rise of the Antichrist, as foretold in the Bible.  

As these particular predictions appear to be coming together, the Rapture, Armageddon, and the return of Christ to rule the earth may not be too far in the future.  $5.99 on Amazon.

Assurance of Heaven; be sure that heaven is your final destination.

Christ is Risen

“Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead. But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen… And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” (I Cor. 15:12, 17-19)

“But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep [died]. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” (I Cor. 15:-20-22)

The Gospel – Good News

“Moreover brethren, I declared to you the gospel…. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me [the apostle Paul] also, as by one born out of due time.” (I Cor. 15:1,3-8)

The Deity and the Resurrection of Jesus distinguishes Christianity from every other faith. Jesus paid our sin debt on the cross. It is finished! He rose from the grave on the third day. The tomb is empty. After He arose, He was seen by more than five hundred people . He ascended into heaven. He’s coming back again. “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20)

Happy Resurrection Day!

Is Earth being Visited by Aliens?

One evening I stopped to visit my cousin who lived up the hill from me. When she opened the door, we both saw a bright light in the sky moving toward us. At first, we thought it was an airplane. But it made no sound. Instantly it made a 90 degree turn, shot across the sky in a streak, and vanished within a second. Shocked, I left and went home. That was about 52 years ago. Since then, I have never seen anything like it.

I have no explanation for what I saw. Was it an alien craft? I have no idea. Maybe it was some sort of military experiment. Maybe it was something that we do not understand about the property of light. Many of these things have a rational scientific explanation.

The Unexplainable

However, there are things reported by reputable people that cannot be explained. Recently, our government has revealed pictures of crafts photographed by Navy and Air Force pilots. John Ratcliffe, who served as the Director of National Intelligence, told Fox News’s Maria Bartiromo, that reports of UFOs included sightings of objects that “frankly engage in actions that are difficult to explain.” He commented that they are “traveling at speeds that exceed the sound barrier without a sonic boom. In short, things that we are observing are difficult to explain.”

A Pew Research study reports that 65% of people said they think there is intelligent alien life on other planets. In the opinion of a former Ministry of Defense UFO investigator expert Nick Pope, “it’s only a matter of time before we find alien life – or before it finds us, if it hasn’t already!” 

The Deceiver

The Bible teaches us that Satan “transforms himself into an angel of light” (II Cor. 11:14). He is the master of deception. A coming world leader will be empowered by him “with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception…” (II Thess. 2:9, 10) Power together with signs and lying wonders suggest that Satan has the power to work through an individual to manifest unusual occurrences, transcending the common course of nature. Power, signs, and lying wonders were the same words used of Jesus when He did the miraculous. In the future the false prophet will deceive many to worship this man [antichrist] by performing great signs, “so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men” (Rev. 13:13).

Is There Alien Life in the Bible?

The world is being set up for future deceptions. Government officials are giving credence to the existence of ‘aliens’. But aliens are not beings from another planet says Pastor Billy Crone, but are demonic in nature. The Bible is explicit that there is a spiritual realm and that Satan and his forces currently have influence over the world – “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (I John 5:19). As believers, “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts in heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12, 13). These are description of evil angels who influence and control powerful rulers and evil movements on the earth. They have the ability to leave their spiritual dimension and enter into the physical world.

The claim of alien life interacting with humanity may become the best explanation for the rapture. The rapture is a sudden and instantaneous supernatural act of God to remove all believers to be with the Him (I Thess. 4:15-18; I Cor. 15:51, 52; John 14:1-3). The world will need an explanation for such a worldwide event. More and more people are inclined to believe that Christianity is holding back society and that aliens may be trying to help us advance. An explanation of the removal of millions of Christians by alien abduction may be one of the soon coming great satanic deceptions.

You can read more about Biblical end time signs in my new book: Vanished When Millions Go Missing.

Purchase on Amazon

Are You Concerned about the Future? 

Did you know that several major rivers are drying up as the Bible prophesied 2600 years ago? Vanished When Millions go Missing reveals that a number of ancient Biblical prophecies are on the verge of being fulfilled. Current world events are conditioning the planet for a future global government and the rise of the Antichrist, as foretold in the Bible.  

As these particular predictions appear to be coming together, the Rapture, Armageddon, and the return of Christ to rule the earth may not be too far in the future.  $5.99 on Amazon.

Assurance of Heaven; be sure that heaven is your final destination.

The Next Russian Invasion

When I was a kid, the television would run ads of Nikita Khrushchev, the premier of the Soviet Union, saying to us, “We will bury you”. The United States was in a cold war with Russia. It was definitely a scary time. In 1962 the Soviet Union placed nuclear missiles in Cuba, only 90 miles from our southern coast. After thirteen days and the threat of a nuclear conflict, they removed them.

During those years in school, we practiced drills in case of a nuclear attack by crouching under your desk. People began to build underground bomb shelters. It was an unsettling time. Well, it seems that Russia is up to something again, but not in the way you may be thinking.

Invasion in the Latter Days

In my upcoming book, Vanished When Millions Go Missing, I include a brief chapter about the invasion into Israel by Gog (a ruler), of the land of Magog. The prophet, Ezekiel, records information about a land, once called Magog, where a major attack into Israel will originate during the end times. Some believe Magog is located in the Caucasus Mountains located in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. Others point out that Magog is also associated with “Rosh” in Ezekiel 38, which some believe is a reference to Russia. Ezekiel says that the invasion will happen “in the latter years” and “in the latter days” (Ez. 38:8, 16).

The ancient prophecy makes it clear that this invasion will come from “the far north” in relation to Israel (Ez. 38:15). Both modern day Ukraine and Russia are directly far north of Israel. This battle will also involve the modern day countries of Turkey [Meshech, Gomer, Togarmah, and Tubal], Iran [Persia], northern Sudan [Cush], Libya [Put], and Ethiopia. (Ez. 38:2-6) It occurs when Israel is dwelling safely without walled villages (Ez. 38:11). This confederation of nations will be drawn there to plunder and to take booty (Ez. 38:12).

The Necessity of a Modern Day Nation of Israel

The invasion was not possible a thousand years ago or even a hundred years ago. It wasn’t possible because Israel didn’t exist until May of 1948 as a sovereign nation. God said He would regather the remnant a second time at the end of the tribulation. (Is. 11:11, 12; Matt. 24:31) The first worldwide gathering has happened. In the last one hundred years, many Jewish people have immigrated back to their homeland. The Jewish population has grown from about 85,000 in 1915 to almost 7 million today.

Secondly, at that time, the land was barren and the fledgling country had little to offer economically. There was nothing there to plunder. There was nothing there to take. It has only been in recent years that Israel has begun to prosper as a nation.

Israel’s Growing Prosperity

Though it has a population of only 8.65 million, Israel ranks 23rd worldwide in its total number of millionaires and its wealth is growing quickly. According to an article by Nate Martin on alux.com, “Earlier in the history of the country, it was struggling. Now “the World Bank states that Israel is a high-income country. Its standard of living is significantly higher when compared to most other countries in the same region. In fact, its standard of living is comparable to that of many other highly developed countries.”

ISRAEL HAS SOMETHING TO PLUNDER NOW! It has only been in the last twenty to thirty years that this prophecy could be fulfilled They are there and thriving. No other group of people have been restored to their homeland after 2,000 years of dispersion. The fact that the people have come back into the land and are prospering is a modern day miracle.

Are We Living in the Latter Years?

Due to Israel’s return to the land, their growing wealth, and the current rise again of antisemitism, in addition to the current condition of the world and the lack of the stability in the middle east, are these factors converging to prepare these nations for this future invasion? When will Russia, Turkey, Iran, and others invade Israel and be defeated on the mountains of Israel? (Ez. 39:4) Are we living in the latter years and latter days? After 2,600 years and 950,000 days since Ezekiel’s prophecy, sure seems like we might be!

Assurance of Heaven; know for sure that heaven is your final destination.

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Assurance of Heaven God’s Promise to Anyone Who Believes the Gospel

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Why are Major Rivers Drying UP?

Currently, I am working on a short book on the converging Biblical signs that are pointing to the end times. One thing I found very interesting is that certain rivers in the world are drying up. The Bible actually predicted that this would happen during the last days. Our salvation may be nearer than we think. Consider what the Bible says about these Rivers when God’s judgment will begin to fall.

The Euphrates and Tigris

The Euphrates River begins in the mountains of Turkey and flows 1,700 miles through Syria and Iraq where it meets the Tigris River. The Tigris parallels the Euphrates through the country of Iraq. These two rivers have been the life blood for these countries over many years.

Babylon is in Iraq

Babylon is located in modern day Iraq right along the Euphrates river. It had its beginning at the tower of Babel. There man refused to obey God and wanted to make a name for themselves. Later King Nebuchadnezzar built a great city there, Babylon. The same rebellious attitude of Babylon has continued down through history, infecting each succeeding kingdom. Eventually, God said He would judge Babylon.

The Waters of Babylon are Drying Up

Because of Babylon’s idolatrous attitude, God said 2,600 years ago through the prophet Jeremiah, that Babylon shall not be inhabited, but she shall be wholly desolate”(Jer. 50:13). Part of His judgment will include, “A drought against her waters, and they will be dried up“(Jer. 50:38). The book of Revelation predicts that the great River Euphrates will be dried up to prepare the way for the kings of the east, to gather them for the future campaign of Armageddon. (Rev. 16:12, 16)

Is Prophecy being Fulfilled?

According to WorldAtlas.com, the many dams built in Turkey have caused a significant decrease in water flow of the Tigris River. This has resulted in an 86% reduction of the Mesopotamian marshes in Iraq. It also has caused problems for farmers who need the water to irrigate the land for crops. The Euphrates also is drying up. Rainfall has decreased by 70% and upstream dams impact the amount of available water. The lack of water has created a significant problem for twelve million people in Syria and Iraq. Just as God said, THE RIVERS OF BABYLON ARE DRYING UP!

Jesus chastised the Jewish leadership for their failure to recognize the signs of times. Are Christians today failing to recognize the signs of His coming? These rivers certainly appear to be fulfilling ancient prophecies. Could this change and the rivers return to normal? Maybe. But it should make one realize that God’s patience will not last forever. He has told us through His word that He is going to intervene again. It might be prudent to pay attention.

Are you Ready?

When Christ returns, one needs to have a relationship with Him. He said, He is the only way to the Father (John 14:6). Have you put your faith in Him to save your soul? To be sure: Find out more here.

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Assurance of Heaven; know for sure that heaven is your final destination.

To find out more about the signs of the times and how the world is being prepared for the final days, check out Vanished When Millions Go Missing. See how the return of Israel to the land, technology, UFOs, and globalism are setting the stage for end time Biblical prophecy.

Has Your Debt Been Paid?

Back in the 1950’s there was a TV show called the millionaire. In this series an anonymous millionaire would give away a million dollars to someone that he had never met.

If you were a recipient, it could enable you to pay off car loans, a house mortgage, and/or significant medical bills. How much joy would there be knowing that you were able to pay off all your debt, due to the benevolence of an unknown individual!

‘Tetelestai’ – Debt Cancellation in the Bible

In Biblical times when someone paid off a debt, the creditor would mark the bill with the word, ‘tetelestai’. This is a Greek word that literally means, ‘bring to an end’. A servant who finished his task would tell his master that he had completed the work, ‘tetelestai’. When a priest would find the perfect lamb for sacrifice, he would exclaim, ‘tetelestai’. In regards to the payment of a debt, ‘tetelestai’ would communicate that ‘the debt has been paid’.

The Last Words of Jesus

In John 19:30 the word is used in the perfect tense and is translated, ‘It is finished’. “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” It was the final words of Jesus on the cross. In other words, the debt has been paid. The certificate of debt has been cancelled. (Colossians 2:14 NASB)

What Debt Did Jesus Pay?

His death satisfied the Father’s holy wrath toward sin. Every person has a sin debt that he/she cannot pay. “The wages of sin is death (eternal separation from God)”. That’s what our sin earns – eternal death, being separated from God forever in the place the Bible calls the Lake of Fire.

But, JESUS’ DEATH PAID OUR SIN DEBT! If Jesus paid our sin debt, do we have any debt to pay? No! He paid it all. For example, if I was found guilty of speeding and the judge was about to fined me $100. But someone else, out of the kindness of their heart, stepped up and paid my fine of $100. Would I have a fine to pay? No, because someone else paid my fine for me. On a much grandeur and infinite scale, Jesus’ death paid our fine, our sin debt. Therefore, we have no debt to pay.

A Transfer of Trust

Most people think that they will get to heaven based on their own personal goodness. Recently, I had a young man tell me that he believed it was 50% his effort and 50% Jesus. He needed to transfer all of his trust (100%) to Jesus.

By transferring your trust from yourself to the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, you pass from death (eternal separation) to (eternal) life. (John 5:24) You receive the benefit of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. You no longer have a sin debt to pay and you gain spiritual life (eternal) which you can never lose. ‘Tetelestai!’

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Find out how to be secure in your relationship with God.

Assurance of Heaven, know for certain that heaven is your final destination.

Is There Only One Way to God?

A Barna poll in 2020 titled, ‘The Christian Church is Seriously Messed Up, found that 56 % of people who claim to be an evangelical Christian believe that ‘some type’ of religious faith is more important than which faith a person aligns with. In other words, it doesn’t matter who you believe; Buddha, Allah, or Jesus. It simply matters that you have faith.

This is end time apostasy prophesied in the Bible and violates the words of Jesus Himself saying that He is the only way (John 14:6).

Last Day Deception

The Bible speaks to this condition of the church in the last days. (The last days for the church began with the first coming of Christ and will culminate at the rapture) “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanders, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power (II Timothy 3:1-4)”.

The apostle instructed Timothy to stay away from such people. (v. 5) These are religious people who “will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” as time moves forward (II Timothy 3:13). With access to world wide audiences through modern day technologies, the church and the world are in the times when spiritual deception is growing at an exponential rate.

The apostle went on to say they will not “endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables (II Timothy 4:3, 4).” Congregations will choose pastors and teachers not according to sound Biblical doctrine, but will pick people who have a pleasant message even if it’s false.

Modern Day False Gospel

One of the doctrines of tickling ears is the message of salvation. Even though Jesus said He is the only way to the Father, as shown above, much of the church does not actually believe that. Additionally, the survey found that “41% of professing evangelicals said that if a person is generally good, or does enough good things in their life, they will earn a place in heaven; a view shared by 70% of Roman Catholics“. Here again this is contrary to the Biblical message that there is none righteous; that there are none who does good, no not one. (Romans 3:10-12)

There is only one Way

The Bible is crystal clear. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Through His death on the cross, He paid the sin penalty for everyone (Hebrews 2:9). He was buried and rose again on the third day proving that He has the power over sin and death (I Corinthians 15:3, 4). He promises forgiveness and everlasting life to anyone who will believe in Him as the all Sufficient Substitutionary Sacrifice for sin.

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Believers pass from eternal death to eternal life

Anyone who understands and believes the gospel; that Jesus, fully God and fully Man, died for sin, was buried, and rose again; passes immediately from eternal death to eternal life. (John 5:24) Jesus said, “Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life” (John 6:47). It is a one-time act of hearing (understanding the gospel) and believing it, which causes an irreversible change in your final destiny.

Be careful not to be confused by the false gospels out there today. No amount of good works, righteous living, or religious duty can ever make you acceptable to God. Jesus did it all. He paid it all! There’s no sin debt to be paid. He’s the one and only way.

***Many often ask, “What about the person who never heard?” Find out the answer to this question.

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Check out , Assurance of Heaven, a Biblical study of eternal security. Download a FREE Study Guide that compliments the book.

I invite you to follow as we continue to explore God’s amazing grace.

The Greatest Sacrifice of ALL!

November 11th. is Veteran’s day. My dad and six of my uncles served in WW II. My father-in-law was shot down and captured, spending 15 months as a prisoner of war in Stalag 17. One of his brothers was killed in action. My father, who served on a five-inch gun on the battleship, Nevada, was credited for shooting down a Japanese kamikaze plane, saving the command structure of the ship.  One of his brothers received a purple heart at the battle of the Bulge.

There are numerous stories of heroic acts of those in every war. Sergeant Alvin York was one of the most decorated soldiers of WW I. He attacked a German machine gun nest, killed 25 of the enemy, and captured 132.  

Medal of Honor Recipients

Jason Dunham, a corporal in the U.S. Marine Corp, while fighting with his unit in Karabilah, Iraq, dove on top of a grenade to save fellow Marines. When it exploded Dunham was seriously injured and died eight days later. 

Michael Anthony Monsoor a U.S. Navy SEAL, quickly smothered a grenade with his body, absorbing the resulting explosion and saving his comrades from serious injury or death. Monsoor died 30 minutes later from serious wounds caused by the grenade explosion.  

William T. Perkins, a Marine Corp Vietnam War Photographer, saved three of his fellow Marines when he dove on a hand grenade, completely covering it with his body. He is the only war photographer to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.   

Gratitude for those who sacrificed all!

You can only imagine the lifelong gratitude that those who survived because of the self-sacrifice of the one covering the grenade with his body. You live because another has died for you.  

As I researched a few of these amazing acts of courage, it brought tears to my eyes with gratitude for their service and selfless acts of heroism. Our freedom has been purchased with much blood and sacrifice by many of our citizens who have served in our military.  

The Greatest Sacrifice of ALL

But there is one sacrifice that is the greatest of all. It’s the story of God’s sacrifice. Jesus Christ, fully God and fully Man, came down to earth to offer Himself as the all-sufficient substitutionary sacrifice for sin. 

Jesus jumped on your Spiritual Hand Grenade

Jesus’ death on the cross was the payment for sin, the sins of the world. “He tasted death for everyone” (Heb. 2:9). Our sin debt has been paid in full by Jesus Christ. We have no debt to pay, because He paid it for us! In His resurrection He proved that He has the power over sin and death.

Like the soldiers in the fox hole, Jesus jumped on your spiritual hand grenade. And like a surviving solder’s gratitude for the sacrifice of his brother in arms, aren’t you forever grateful to Jesus for His sacrifice? He died in our place and saved us eternally. How will you now respond to the One who has saved you from the eternal lake of fire where the devil and his angels will be?  

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” I Corinthians 9:15

Know that your relationship with God is secure forever!

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Check out , Assurance of Heaven, a Biblical study of eternal security. Download a FREE Study Guide that compliments the book.

Thank you for visiting this site. I invite you to follow as we continue to explore God’s amazing grace.