|
I
remember coming into my wife’s room and
having the doctor tell us that she had
leukemia. I felt like I had just been run
over by a truck. What do you do? Where do
you turn? How do you survive? Most of
us have had or are having times like that.
We all hurt in the struggle with life and
need comfort and peace. My wife and I
were facing death, which can be a scary
thing. I would love to tell you where
my peace comes from and where my meaning for
life comes from. Let me share with
you.
Larry Johnson
|
|
The
Bible makes it clear that all of us are
sinners. Even the best of us have
said, thought, or done something wrong!
We all have sinned and are spiritually dead. |
Romans
3:10-11, 23
10As it is written: "There is no one
righteous, not even one; 11there is no one
who understands, no one who seeks God.
23For all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God. |
| Like
breaking the laws of our country, there is a
penalty for sin too! God is a just God
and requires someone to pay the penalty for
our sin. |
Romans
6:23
23For the wages of sin is death, but the
gift of God is eternal life through Christ
Jesus our Lord. |
| Even
though we deserve death God has given us the
gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Through Him, we can receive what we haven't
earned-- eternal life. What we have earned--
death, Jesus Christ took on himself so we
wouldn’t have to. |
Romans
5:8-9
8But God demonstrates his own love for us in
this: While we were still sinners, Christ
died for us. 9Since we have now been
justified by his blood, how much more shall
we be saved from God's wrath through him! |
Romans
8:1
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for
those who are in Christ Jesus |
| You
may ask ‘How do I get this gift from
God?’ You receive it by putting your faith
in Jesus Christ, believing He is God and
that He died and rose again for your sins.
Your life changes as you live for Christ. |
Romans
10:9-10, 13
9That if you confess with your mouth,
"Jesus is Lord," and believe in
your heart that God raised him from the
dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with
your heart that you believe and are
justified, and it is with your mouth that
you confess and are saved. 13for,
"Everyone who calls on the name of the
Lord will be saved." |
Romans
12:1-2
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of
God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this
is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not
conform any longer to the pattern of this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your mind. Then you will be able to test and
approve what God's will is—his good,
pleasing and perfect will. |
| These
next verses are the promise I have when I
believe in Christ and have Him as my savior.
I know I have eternal life. |
1
John 5:11-13
11And this is the testimony: God has given
us eternal life, and this life is in his
Son. 12He who has the Son has life; he who
does not have the Son of God does not have
life. 13I write these things to you
who believe in the name of the Son of God so
that you may know that you have eternal
life. |
| What
if I sin after I become a Christian?
God’s grace is still there. The next
verses tell us that God forgives because of
what Christ did for us on the cross. |
1
John 1:9
9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and
just and will forgive us our sins and purify
us from all unrighteousness. |
| It
seems incredible that the God of the
universe, of everything we know and don’t
know, loved us so much that he sent His Son
to us. This Son, Jesus Christ, died and took
the punishment for your and my sin on the
cross so we could have eternal life if we
believe in Him. Our response to that great
love needs to be living our lives for Him.
God
has given me hope and a meaning for life,
through the experience of my wife's death.
Without Him I couldn’t have survived. |
If you have any questions about what you
just read, email
me
and we would be happy to talk to you about
it. |
