Studying God's Word

We’ve established in the previous blog that prayer is best defined as, “having fellowship with God.” We know God commands us to pray and that prayer is essential for our salvation. We also know we should be praying to God continuously about anything and everything. What isn’t clear and what we must know is how to pray. What are the elements of a successful prayer to God? Nine out of ten people wouldn’t know if we asked them. If we’re going to talk to God at least understand the general guidelines even if we don’t always follow them. We have the honor of unfettered access to the throne of Almighty God so at least do him the honor of praying the right way; the way God has prescribed.

If you remember your English composition class, every story has a beginning, a middle and an ending. Prayers to God are the same way. We usually come before the throne of grace to confess our sins or to ask for something from God. That’s the middle part of a good prayer. At the beginning and ending of a prayer are what I call the protocol items that are necessary for God to hear and act on our prayers. If we’re going to talk to God we need to know the general outline of a standard prayer and the rules to abide by. Let’s use the Lord’s Prayer as our model as we explain the key elements. Keep in mind Jesus threw everything into his model prayer and our prayers may not need every element listed.

THE LORD’S PRAYER:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

1. Establish a personal relationship with God – Using the word “Father” signifies a relationship between God and believer. The word “our” signifies the relationship between all believers. The Bible declares our sonship so claim it in prayer. The Bible declares all believers are brothers so claim that in prayer too.

2. Establish faith in God – Using the words “in heaven” establishes our faith in God. Prayers are worthless without faith. Prayers won’t work unless you believe God exists and that he hears our prayers and answers them.

3. Worship God – Before we ask anything of God we first have to acknowledge him and worship God him as the King of the universe. Using the phrase, “hallowed be thy name,” does that. Hallowed means “made holy” or “greatly honored and respected.” God may be our Father and friend but prayer time is serious business and formalities must be observed. Any show of disrespect will void our prayers.

4. Submission – In all prayers we must come before God with humility to show our submission to God’s authority. God hates pride and haughtiness and will turn those people aside. God loves humility and dispensing mercy. The phrase, “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” indicates the acceptance of God’s authority.

5. Petition – (optional) – This is the middle part of the prayer where we ask something from God if that’s what we came for. “Give us this day our daily bread,” asks God to supply all our needs daily. This is where you don’t have to be formal and you can pour your heart out to God in your own words, whatever your request is.

6. Confession – (optional) – This is also the middle part of the prayer where we come to God to confess our sins and ask for forgiveness. You can petition God and confess to God in the same prayer if you want to. Only confessed sins can be forgiven hence the phrase, “and forgive us our debts.”

7. Exaltation – (optional) – This is another middle part of the prayer where we come to God for no other reason than to give honor, praise and glory to the Lord. Prayers of exaltation to God were rare even in Old Testament times but today they’re pretty much nonexistent. In our fast-paced world Christians have less and less time for God and prayers are usually cursory at best and based only on our needs at the moment. We don’t take the time to luxuriate in God’s love and I’m as guilty as anyone. Everyone has their favorites. When I read the Bible I can tell King David was God’s favorite. God said David was, “a man after my own heart.”

What separated David from everyone else in God’s eyes? David cultivated an intense personal relationship with God all his life and the Holy Spirit never left him. David probably had a better prayer life than any believer who ever lived and many of his prayers were simply prayers of exaltation to God. Read David’s prayers to God in the Psalms and you’ll see what I mean. Who wouldn’t love someone like that, who shows so much emotion and devotion? King David has set a good example for us to follow in our prayer life if we want to be close to God. By exalting God our light will shine brighter before the Lord. We can please God. We can make God smile.

8. Compassion – (optional) – “As we forgive our debtors,” is a show of compassion. It may not be applicable in all prayers but understand God loves dispensing mercy and he requires the same from us toward others or our sins won’t be forgiven.

9. Dependence – We must throw ourselves on God’s mercy for his protection. We must be totally dependent on God and the phrase, “and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” shows we are dependent on God’s provision for us. God won’t keep us from temptation but he does promise to help us through it. When we throw ourselves on God’s mercy he’ll never fail us. God hasn’t failed anyone yet and he never will.

10. Acknowledgment – Always wrap up any prayer by acknowledging God’s sovereignty over his creation and acceptance of God’s will in your life, whatever that may be. Leave everything in God’s hands. “In Jesus’ name we pray,” is a customary prayer ending that does this for me.

Prayers don’t have to be cookie-cutter and formal and they can be long or short. In the Bible King Solomon had a prayer thirty verses long and the Apostle Peter had a prayer three words long (Lord save me!). Make your prayer format fit the occasion. Give your prayer life with God a little thought. During the day make a list of things you want to discuss with God in prayer. Don’t pray to God using only repetitious phrases and expect to impress God. In your prayers to God he’ll overlook the formalities if you’re sincere. God cares more about what’s in your heart than following a set of rules. As with anything, practice makes perfect. Receiving prayers is the highlight of God’s day.

God has given everyone the free will choice whether to serve God or Satan. God isn’t going to give anyone eternal life unless they talk to him. The only way to talk to God is through prayer. Even Mother Teresa with all her good works couldn’t set foot in heaven without having a talk with God first. God talks to us through the Bible and we talk to God through our prayers. Communication is a two-way conversation which, in this instance, is between us and God. It takes two to fellowship. When it comes to our salvation, the sinner’s prayer is how we reach out to God to admit we’re a sinner, ask his forgiveness and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. God talks to us through the Bible to assure us we are saved unto eternal life if we do what he asks of us.

Isaiah 1:18 – Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Philippians 4:6 – Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Ephesians 6:18 – Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

1 Timothy 2:1 – Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.

I know it sounds incredible but the Creator of the universe really does want to be our friend. God wants fellowship with his creatures and that involves a give and take conversation. God’s prescribed way of talking to him is by prayer. In fact, in the Bible God repeatedly commands us to pray to him so failure to do so is a sin against God. The Bible is God’s wisdom and in its pages we learn the right way to live, not only by what is said, but also by the examples set by Jesus and the giants of the Christian faith. All of us should study everything Jesus did during his ministry and model our behavior after Jesus as much as possible. If you’ll notice, Jesus constantly prayed to the Father. If even the Son of God prayed to God the Father how much more should we be praying also? The Apostle Paul was the greatest Christian who ever lived and he prayed constantly. I posit Paul’s success was due, in large part, because of his prayer life. We should all strive to be a prayer warrior like the Apostle Paul.

Romans 12:12 – Rejoicing in hope. patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.

Colossians 4:2 – Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Timothy 2:8 – I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

1 Samuel 12:23 – Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.

I always cringe inside when I hear people pray to Jesus. I know Jesus is God but I also know the New Testament rule for prayer is that prayer should be made to the Father, through the Spirit, in the name of Jesus. The Lord’s prayer is a good model for us to follow but make it more personal to fit your situation. Never pray to Jesus, Mary, the saints or anyone else other than God the Father. I know Catholics direct their prayers to Mary but that’s a dry hole. Let me repeat myself. It’s not scriptural to pray to anyone other than God the Father so the prayers of all Catholics are falling on deaf ears. Have you ever heard a Catholic say their prayers were answered? I haven’t. God won’t hear prayers unless they’re directed to him. That’s the way the Bible says to pray and the Bible is never wrong. If God didn’t want it that way he wouldn’t have put it in the Bible. That’s just common sense. The Bible says God always hears the prayers of believers and so he does. God always answers the prayers of believers although maybe not as quickly as we’d like or with the answer we want.

Romans 8:26 – Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Luke 11:10 – (Jesus speaking) – For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Psalm 102:17 – (the Lord) – He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, and shall not despise their prayer.

Matthew 7:11 – (Jesus speaking) – If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

I’m a detail person so I worry about the little things, like the mechanics of how we’re reborn. I know we’re reborn spiritually and it isn’t necessary I know how that’s achieved. Still, inquiring minds want to know. Does God just scrub off the old spirit to remove the stain of sin handed down to us from Adam or does God give us a brand new spirit? Is the new spirit identical to the old one or a new totally different spirit? My problem was always looking at it from a human perspective and not from God’s point of view. Each of us is born twice. We have our physical birth but before that we have our spiritual birth. We are born of God when he gives us a part of himself, an eternal spirit, at the moment of conception.

Titus 3:5 – Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.

John 3:3 – (Jesus speaking) – Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

John 1:12-13 – But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God.

Over 385,000 babies are born every day so God is a very busy spiritual midwife. Over 108 billion people have lived on this planet since the beginning of human history so God has plenty of experience handing out eternal spirits. God can do anything so why would he do anything the hard way? God always chooses the easiest and most logical path to get things done. God accomplishes his will with a thought, a word or the lifting of a finger. Everything for God is easy as pie. In the Bible God usually uses very precise and literal language to get his point across. Where God does use symbolism it’s obvious like in the book of Revelation.

John 3:6-7 – (Jesus speaking) – That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again.

Galatians 4:4-5 – But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

In Scripture God doesn’t say he cleans up our old spirit. God says we’re reborn; born again a second time. That means we’ll get the exact same spirit we now have but without the stain of sin on it. The only difference is we receive our sinless spirit not at conception but at the exact moment we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Our spiritual birth is a do-over like in the movie, “Groundhog Day.” We’re born again! Regeneration, our rebirth, is spiritual and not physical and it happens in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, so we don’t feel a thing. We know it’s the truth because God’s Word confirms it and God cannot lie. Believers are actually born three times in their lives, their first spiritual birth is at conception, then their physical birth nine months later, and finally their spiritual rebirth when they accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Unbelievers are only born twice and are therefore condemned to hell for eternity.

1 Corinthians 14-15 – But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But He who is spiritual judges all things, yet He himself is rightly judged by no one.

Romans 4:8 – Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.

Our regeneration (rebirth) is necessary to remove the sin from our spirit which all men have inherited from Adam after his fall from grace. As the first man, Adam was our patriarch and head of our household. Through the spiritual law of imputation Adam’s sin was imparted to all men. Jesus existed before Adam, Jesus has always existed, so when Jesus came to earth in the form of a man he automatically became our new patriarch and head of our household. Jesus replaced Adam. Jesus is the second Adam. By his sacrificial death on the cross in our place Jesus took our sins upon himself and imparted his righteousness to us by the same spiritual law of imputation. Jesus healed the breach between God and man which restored our fellowship with God. Each of us as individuals still have to accept God’s grace by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It’s a two part deal. God died for our sins and now we must accept Christ or face spiritual death.

Romans 5:12 – Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.

Galatians 4:19 – My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you.

We all have to pass through metal detectors at airports or we don’t get on the plane. We don’t get into heaven unless we can pass through the sin detector at the pearly gates. God won’t abide sin so God won’t let sin enter heaven where he dwells. Belief in Jesus is the only way to remove our sin, by the grace of God. No sinner after Adam has ever been saved apart from the threefold work of God’s Word, the Spirit of God and the man of God. Jesus is that man of God and the essential element of our salvation. Eternal life runs through Christ alone. The free will choice is ours to make, Jesus or sin, life or death, heaven or hell.

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

James 1:18 – Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

Jesus is the judge of our eternal soul, the only judge, because only Jesus can decide to let you into heaven or keep you out. That’s what judges do, they let you in or keep you out. There are only two eternal destinations, heaven or hell. If Jesus keeps you out heaven that means you’re going to hell and vice versa. It’s one place or the other. It’s that simple. For those who have ears, let them hear and understand. If you’re reading this blog and you still haven’t accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior there’s still time for you to change your eternal destination. The Bible says now is the day of your salvation. Believe what God is telling you. Take action now.

1 Corinthians 4:15 – For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

1 Peter 1:23 – Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.

I sometimes use similar terms interchangeably to keep my blogs from becoming too stale, boring or repetitive. While the meaning of such terms are usually very close, they aren’t always the same. When I talk about Jesus paying our sin debt sometimes I say forgiveness and sometimes I say remission. You can forgive someone for being late for dinner but remission doesn’t fit. Forgiveness is a feeling. You’re no longer feeling angry about an offense or mistake someone has made. Remission is the cancellation of a debt, charge, or penalty.

For example, let’s say we’re having an old fashioned duel of honor between two gentlemen from the seventeenth century. They use single shot dueling pistols. They stand back to back and step off ten paces before turning and firing. One duelist fires first and his shot misses. By the rules of engagement the second duelist is entitled to take his shot and his opponent must stand and take the shot. The second duelist is an expert marksman and knows he can easily kill his man. He aims at his target but suddenly lowers his arm and doesn’t take the shot he is owed. The duel is over. That’s remission. Remission is showing mercy where none is expected or deserved. Forgiveness, on the other hand, would be showing up on the field of honor and one man deciding not to remain angry any longer about the slight that precipitated the duel and calling off the duel before a shot could accrue any debt, charge or penalty. Forgiveness is deciding not to duel at all. Remission is the same as mercy. The two terms are equivalent.

Matthew 26:28 – (Jesus speaking) – For this is the My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Mark 1:4 – John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

Hebrews 9:22 – And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

Acts 10:43 – To Him all the prophets witness that, through his name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.

Sometimes I’ve mistakenly used forgiveness in the place of redemption. Forgiveness is a feeling that costs us nothing. We were once angry and now we aren’t. We’ve let it slide. Redemption, on the other hand, always costs us something. With redemption there has to be a ransom paid to get back what is ours. For example, let’s say it’s three days before payday and you’re broke. You need groceries for the kids so you take your favorite shotgun and run down to the local pawn shop and borrow $50 against the shotgun, which the pawn broker holds for repayment. On payday you return to the pawn shop and pay $75 to redeem your shotgun. That’s redemption. Redemption always has a cost associated with it whereas forgiveness doesn’t.

Redemption is when someone holds something of value that belongs to us and we have to pay something (a ransom) in order to get it back. Our immortal souls have value. Our souls belong to God and are priceless in his eyes. Adam pawned our souls to Satan for a handful of fruit. The ransom paid by a just God to redeem our souls and keep us from the fires of hell was the death of his Son Jesus Christ on the cross. Jesus Christ is our redeemer because he paid the ransom price for our souls with his blood. It should’ve been us. That’s why we call Jesus Savior! That’s why we call Jesus Lord!

Romans 3:23-24 – For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 1:18-19 – Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot.

Luke 1:68 – Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David.

Galatians 3:13 – Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.

Revelation 5:9-10 – And they sang a new song, saying “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.

We need a better understanding of the word “repent”. If you look up the definition of repent in the dictionary it says, “to feel or express sincere regret or remorse about something bad or wrong that one has done.” While we can be remorseful before God for our sinning ways that won’t change our eternal destination. I always thought to repent meant to turn over a new leaf and stop sinning but that’s not it either. Repent also doesn’t mean to start doing good works. While all the things mentioned above are good things we should do to please God that won’t get us into heaven either. The biblical meaning of “repent” is a voluntary and sincere change in the mind of the sinner to turn from his sin and the only way to do that is to turn to Jesus. Anything other than that is still sin. We’re specifically talking sin (singular), the one all-important sin, which is the rejection of Christ.

In the Bible when it calls for sinners to repent it means to accept Christ, to turn to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. To turn “from” sin means to turn “toward” God and his Christ. That one little word “repent” sums up our mission in life. It’s what God put us here on earth to do. Repentance brings true conversion of the soul. It’s the only thing that will. All the other stuff we should do but it’s just icing on the cake. The act of “turning to” Christ we call faith. Man’s great sin, the only sin which God will not forgive, is the rejection of his Son Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. To reject Jesus is a spiritual death sentence that will result in the Judge incarcerating us in hell without parole.

2 Peter 3:9 – The Lord id 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.

Acts 3:19 – Repent therefore and be converted. that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.

Luke 13:3,5 – (Jesus speaking) – Unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

Hebrews 11:6 – But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Romans 5:1 – Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

All men sin and one of the spiritual laws of God is, “the wages of sin is death.” God is referring here to only one sin, the great sin, the sin of rejecting of Jesus Christ. All other sins can be forgiven but the wages of rejecting Christ (the great sin) is spiritual death in the lake of fire for eternity. Spiritual death is the total separation from God forever. When Adam disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden it was a sin because it was a rejection of God’s law, God’s authority. Adam’s sin of rejecting God has been passed down to all men by the spiritual law of imputation because Adam is our patriarch, the first man and head of our family. Imputation is when something done by one person is added to the account or ledger of another. As the head of our household, Adam’s sin has fallen on all men who came after. We’re all born with the sin of rejecting God (Jesus) already on our books. The only way to clear our slate is to come to “repentance”, to stop rejecting Jesus Christ (by turning to our Lord and Savior).

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 – Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Romans 4:23-25 – (about Abraham) – Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him (righteousness), but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

The spiritual law of substitution allowed Jesus to be our substitute, to die in our place on the cross, to redeem us from our sins. The wages of sin required by a just God is a sinless blood sacrifice. Since all men sin God had to come to earth himself in the incarnation of Jesus to offer himself up as a sacrifice in our stead. Jesus’ death became the permanent substitution for all men on the cross, past, present and future. Because Jesus took away our sins on the cross we are reconciled to God if we have faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Where once we had enmity with God we now have a restored fellowship with God through our acceptance of his Son Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:20-21 – Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on God’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Ephesians 2:13 – But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 2:16 – (about Jesus) – And that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

The three persons of the Trinity were all involved in creating the universe. Likewise, all three members of the triune Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, are heavily involved in God’s salvation plan for man. The entire Bible is all about God’s redemption plan for us through his Son Jesus Christ. It’s the key to everything in life. God the Father designed the salvation plan for us before he laid the foundation of the world because God knows everything that will happen. God doesn’t create anyone with the intent of sending them to hell but he does have the foreknowledge to know who will accept his grace unto salvation and eternal life in heaven and who will not. God knows beforehand who he will call and who he will choose. God has planned every detail of his creation and how things will play out. With God there are no surprises.

John 6:44 – (Jesus speaking) – No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Matthew 20:16 – (Jesus speaking) – So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.

Romans 9:11 – For the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls.

Ephesians 1:4-5 – Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.

1 Corinthians 2:9 – God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

God came down from heaven in the incarnation of Jesus Christ to execute his Father’s salvation plan by establishing an eternal blood covenant by the shedding of his blood on the cross for our sins. Because of his sacrificial death Jesus is the heir of all things, so that God the Father is glorified.

John 3:16 – (Jesus speaking) – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Luke 24:46 – (Jesus speaking) – Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 – For I delivered to you first of all that which I 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.

1 Peter 1:20-21 – (about Jesus) – He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

The Holy Spirit of God came to earth at Pentecost to indwell all believers as our Helper. The Holy Spirit’s job is to share God’s spiritual truths with us, to convict sinners of their sins and make them aware of their need for repentance, and to save all believers unto eternal life by the grace of our heavenly Father.

Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also the Greek (Gentile).

John 16:7-8 – (Jesus speaking) – Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.

Titus 3:5-6 – Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 -But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

All men who came after Adam’s fall from grace are born with a sin nature and are therefore condemned to hell at birth. No amount of good works will reverse that curse. In our own weakness, we cannot keep from sinning all the days of our life. We are fallen creatures in a fallen world controlled by Satan, who tempts us constantly. We have one thing in our favor. The God who made us loves us dearly and in his love, mercy and grace he has established a method to achieve our salvation and restore our lost fellowship with the Father. God is holy and sin cannot enter where he dwells so in order for us to live in heaven our sins against God must be forgiven.

Hebrews 9:22 – And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

Jonah 2:9 – But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.

Hebrews 5:9 – And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.

Acts 4:12 – Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 – For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Whenever I study God’s salvation plan for man one word keeps popping up in my mind, “perfect”. No human being could conceive of such a plan; but only the mind of God. To me this is just another proof of God. The Bible says the wages of sin is death. This is a spiritual law of God that cannot be broken. The salvation of God is always by the shedding of innocent blood (without blemish or sin). According to Hebrews 9:22, this is also an unbreakable law of God. To save man the blood sacrifice had to be a man who was without sin (spotless) before God. No such person has ever existed after Adam fell because all men after Adam have sinned.

The only sinless person is God. To meet God’s justice and and also God’s criteria for our salvation God himself had to come off his throne and come to earth in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, as wholly man and wholly God. Jesus died on the cross in our place so that God could forgive our sins. God’s work of salvation was completed on the cross but the application of God’s grace is only through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. A sinner’s expression of faith is always followed by God’s grace unto eternal life. We have God’s promise and God cannot lie.

Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Titus 2:11 – For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.

Romans 5:1-2 – Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Hebrews 11:6 – But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who come to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

1 Corinthians 1:3 – Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Salvation is not something you “do” or something you “get”. Salvation is something done “for you” or something done “to you”. Can you remember a movie with a jungle scene where the actor walks off into some quicksand. The guy is stuck and starts to sink lower and lower the more he tries to get out. He has nothing solid to push against so he has no leverage and can’t push his way out. He can’t reach anything outside the quicksand to pull himself out. It’s only a matter of time before his head sinks below the quicksand and he’s a goner. The only thing that’ll help him now is salvation. Someone other than himself must recognize his danger, be able to assist him and be willing to provide the help. The analogy of quicksand gives us a good picture of salvation. Other word pictures of salvation would be a drowning man needing a lifeguard and a man needing a doctor for a lifesaving operation. You get the idea. Salvation comes from something outside of ourselves.

Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

Hebrews 7:25 – Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 – For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Psalm 35:9 – And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His salvation.

Jeremiah 29:13 – And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

God has put eternity in the hearts of men so we’ll seek him out. We may have lived at different times and in different places but our search is the same. We all seek a higher authority than ourselves. We seek God. Every religion says their god is the right one but none of them have any proof to back it up save one. Only Christianity has a body of proof that is irrefutable. There can be only one God and Jehovah is his name. There can be only one way to God and that is by faith in Jesus. The problem is not enough people take the time to look for the right answers. Anyone who reads the Holy Bible with an open mind will find the answers they seek. They’ll find God in its pages.

They’ll also find hell in the pages of the Bible when they realize God is real and without Christ their immortal soul is in danger of going to hell forever. Every believer in God reaches that moment of realization and commitment. All their lives unbelievers have thrashed about in spiritual quicksand without even realizing they’re stuck. When they suddenly learn the truth of God the unbeliever knows they need help from the outside to save them. They need the salvation of God. The wise will turn to God for their salvation but the fool will say to himself, there is no god or I can save myself. They will feel the wrath of God on the last day. They will end up in hell forever.

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.

Jude 24-25 – Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

Jeremiah 31:3 – The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying, “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.”

1 Chronicles 22:19 – Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God.

The person stuck in the quicksand is actually very lucky if he sees his peril in time and takes the right course of action. Knowing you’re in danger is half the battle. He was made by the one true God, Jehovah, and as a child of the Most High God he is loved by the Father. A mother can be in a deep sleep but when her baby cries out she is instantly awake. She knows the sound of her baby among all the other crying babies. She can pick her baby out in the dark. God is the same way. God never takes his eyes off his children all the days of their lives. God is always nearby and hears when his children cry out to him for salvation. God knows you’re in danger of eternal death and he is waiting for you to return home to his loving arms. The Bible story about the prodigal son is really about the father’s enduring love for his son. This story should be called, “the loving father.” The prodigal son is our story too because it draws attention to our Father’s everlasting love for us no matter how much we sin. This is a Bible story but it’s also an example for us to follow. God is telling us no matter what happens we can always return home to him because he’ll waiting up for us with the light on.

Isaiah 43:13 – Indeed before the day was, I am He; and there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?

Isaiah 43:11 – I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior.

Isaiah 45:5 – I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me.

Isaiah 45:22 – Look to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth!

God has been waiting expectantly for us to return home, to call out to him. God is our strength and salvation. God is the only one able to save us and he is willing. Our salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Jesus saves! Only the hand of Jesus can reach out to us from solid ground and pull us out of the quicksand. Only Jesus can throw a rope to us while we’re in the quicksand and pull us out of the fires of hell. God made man with the free will to choose whom to serve, God or Satan. God has one rule when he sees us in the quicksand of life. God won’t help us unless we ask him for help. God will abide by our choice no matter how much it hurts him.

I was always amazed that one little bitty sin could cause God to sentence someone to the lake of fire and brimstone for a billion trillion years, and the rest. It has always sounded a bit severe to my way of thinking. Let’s say you’re twelve years old and you go in a store and steal a candy bar. You’re old enough to know better and one of God’s commandments is, “You shall not steal.” You’ve sinned against God. Are we saying that one little sin of yours, if not addressed, could potentially cause the human race to become extinct and the earth destroyed so it becomes a lifeless rock orbiting the sun. Theoretically, absolutely, yes it could. Let me explain.

When God made the universe he established all the physical and spiritual parameters by which everything must function or operate. God is good, perfect and all-knowing so what God created was also good and perfect. Whatever God commands to happen becomes the law of God. The New Testament was first written in Greek and sin was referred to as “parabasis”, which means, “to overstep a forbidden line.” Sin occurs when man deliberately of accidentally steps over the line or boundary of God’s perfect law.

Why is it that one little sin is so bad? Sin is anything, no matter how small, that intrudes or impinges on God’s perfect creation and causes it be be corrupted. Corruption will lead to collapse which ultimately leads to destruction. God’s perfect creation, both man and earth, will ultimately collapse under the weight of “any” imperfection (sin) if that sin isn’t removed. That’s why there’s no such thing as a little sin. The Bible doesn’t mention degrees of sin. Sin is sin. Whether the sin is a small pebble or a giant boulder, both will cause the same result, the destruction of God’s construct, if not addressed.

1 John 3:4 – Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.

Everything in God’s creation was perfect until Lucifer, the top angel in heaven, overstepped a forbidden line and became the universe’s first sinner. Lucifer had “pride” in his wisdom, power and beauty. Pride was the first sin and it caused Lucifer to lead a rebellion of angels in heaven against the God that made them all. Lucifer and his fallen angels were defeated and thrown to earth because sin cannot remain where God is because God is holy. Lucifer degenerated into the Devil because of sin. The Dragon is the source and strength of sin.

Luke 10:18- (Jesus speaking) – I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Ezekiel 28:17 – Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground. I laid you before kings, that they might gaze at you.

In the Garden of Eden everything was perfect as Adam and Eve fellowshipped with God. Satan tempted Adam and Eve and they overstepped the forbidden line God set for his creation. Adam and Eve broke God’s law. Adam and Eve ate fruit from the tree God commanded them not to eat from. By disobeying God Adam and Eve sinned, bringing corruption into the world. Adam, as the first man, passed his sin on to all men who came after him. For men, the wages of sin is death. The fate of everyone on earth who doesn’t get their sins removed is both physical death (the first death) and spiritual death (the second death). Because of our sin nature from Adam there’s no way to escape the first death unless you’re alive when Jesus comes to rapture all believers. The second death, spiritual death, is the important one because it means separation from God forever in the lake of fire. By his love, mercy and grace God has provided us a way to avoid hell if we accept his Son Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Jesus died a horrible death on the cross in our place so that we’d have the opportunity to accept the grace of God unto eternal life. God has given us the free will to choose God or Satan. Evaluate your options and choose wisely while there is still time.

We’re all God’s children and he loves us dearly so a just God took the only course available to him. God sent his Son Jesus Christ to earth to die on the cross in our place. Jesus was the only sinless sacrifice suitable to God that would allow God to forgive our sins, if we believe in God and his Christ. Those who reject Jesus will not have their sins forgiven and will face God’s wrath on the last day. Sin also affects the earth and all the plants and animal on it. Jesus will reverse the earth’s decay at his second coming. Sin is the cause of everything bad that happens to us.

Adam and Eve were immortal and because of sin they grew old and died. Because of our sin we all suffer physical death as well. All the pain, hardship and strife humans go through on this earth is a direct result of our sin. Sin is a big deal. It’s the biggest deal of all. Removal of sin will restore us and the world to the way it was in the beginning with Adam and Eve. The only way that is possible is for us is to accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. God has given us a way out of hell if we’ll only accept the grace he is offering. Punch your ticket to heaven by faith in Jesus right now. Or you can stay on the train you’re on right now which is heading straight to hell. For those who have ears, let them hear and understand.

When Jesus ascended back to heaven his work wasn’t done. The work of Jesus on our behalf was just beginning. Jesus sits at the right hand of God and works for us tirelessly.

1. Jesus acts as our Advocate

1 John 2:1 – My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

2. Jesus prays for us

Romans 8:34 – It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

4. Jesus is our High Priest

Hebrews 4:14 – Seeing then that we have a great High Priest whom has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.

5. Jesus gives us spiritual gifts

Ephesians 4:10-12 – He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things. And He Himself gave some to be Apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

6. Jesus gives us encouragement

Hebrews 4:14-16 – That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ – from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

7. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to indwell us

Acts 1:8 – (Jesus speaking) – But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

8. Jesus helps the believer do good works

John 14:12 – (Jesus speaking) – Most assuredly, I say to you. he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will also do; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

9. Jesus cares for his church

Revelation 3:22 – (Jesus speaking) – He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

10. Jesus is preparing a place for us

John 14:2 – (Jesus speaking) – In My Father’s house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

11. Jesus is our forerunner

Hebrews 6:19-20 – This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

12. Jesus is waiting for his enemies to become his footstool

Hebrews 10:12-13 – But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.

Let’s face it, we were all on the road straight to hell for eternity and Jesus saved us from that fate by shedding his blood on the cross in our place. Only the Son of God could do it and that’s why we call him Savior. Only Jesus Christ can forgive our sins and save us unto eternal life in heaven. That’s why we call him Lord. Only Jesus continues to help us in every way from his seat in heaven which is why we call him Heavenly Father.