Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Mar 5 -- Sandy

Today's scripture focus: 1 John 5:13

Today's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Numbers 9-10, Psalm 46, Luke 2

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.
1 John 5:13


MacArthur's sermon

Have you ever looked at the requirements of other religions?  None of them are certain.  None of them have a Holy God at the center.  Christianity is truly the only religion that has a promise of salvation, that isn't based on our own efforts (thank goodness for that!  I'm a trainwreck!)

Buddhism touches a lot on suffering, like Christianity, but there's no hope in it.  No promise of salvation.  

Isalm claims to be 'just like Christianity', but they don't believe in Jesus.  They don't accept His divinity, therefore, they have no promise of salvation. 

Atheists simply have no hope. 

On and on.  You can read some about the different major religions here if you'd like.  

What's the point Sandy?

Christianity is the only major religion that has a promise of salvation.  Christianity is also the only religion that has only one requirement:  

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 3:16



But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 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. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Romans 10:8-10

That's it.  No list to check off.  No requirements to fulfill.  Just this one thing: Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. 

That's what gives us our hope.  No matter how crappy we are, how many times we screw up, how many times we doubt, act in anger, or just plain stumble, our salvation is bought, paid for, and non-returnable.  

We are free, indeed. 

1 comment:

Tammy said...

I love it that we can KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt where we will spend eternity. And that it isn't based on something we've done to earn it or to deserve it. But rather that Jesus did it all, and it is up to us simply to believe.