|
|
Would you like to “be saved”?
Have you ever heard this before? What does it mean.... "saved" from what exactly? A terrible and eternal Hell?
Yes! But more than this alone, by this often overused cliché what we mean is to be saved from yourself too.
Are you tired of trying? Trying to escape those depressing feelings of shame, guilt or condemnation, trying to be good enough, trying to stop the pain of hatred, bitterness or unforgiveness... You know.... when everything seems just to be a huge effort of trying. Whether trying to be a better person, shake a bad habit, be happy or just trying to find sense & real purpose in life.
Wouldn't you like to experience real peace? By REAL peace I mean that tranquility of heart & mind that one can experience continuously, irrespective of the chaotic circumstances of life that may arise.
Listen to what Jesus says:
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away
with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk
with me and work with me — watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms
of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 30 Keep company with
me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Matt 11:28-30 - from The Message
GOD
really cares about YOU!
JESUS
died to pay the whole penalty for all your sins
It was never God’s intention for man to live as he does today. When God created man, He placed him in a garden on the earth that had it all. He wanted man to experience His unconditional love in friendship and fellowship with Him and for man to have dominion over the earth. In that garden man sinned when he chose to believe the lies of the deceiver rather than trust God's word to him as truth.
Since that day all of mankind has lived life in un-belief – i.e. the opposing false belief that God is withholding His unconditional love from us. This is the essence of sin. God's one and only Son, Jesus, came to prove to mankind once and for all that God our Father does indeed love us with an uncompromising, unqualified and unconditional love. God made a way to remove the sin issue that had separated man from his loving Father. Romans 5:8 declares that “God demonstrated His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners [unbelievers], Christ died for us.”
Jesus, though innocent himself of any sin, through His death on that torturous cross accepted from God the ENTIRE punishment and penalty for ALL mankind’s sin (including ALL your sins, mistakes and failures - no matter how bad!).
This is the power of the "gospel", (translated, the word means: "good news") – that Jesus came to demonstrate through His life, death, burial, and resurrection from the dead on the third day - that God truly loves us with an unconditional, no-strings-attached, heart-mending love! Only by trusting and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, can you experience wholeness in this life - and the life to come - that we humans so desperately need.
|
|
