Spring has sprung! The sun has finally returned to NJ!! Yeah. It returned slowly on Thursday, shining out from behind the clouds - a promise of what was to come. I woke Friday morning to sun and blue skies - a very welcome sight and revleed in the warmth and brightness. The pain I had been experiencing slowly started to leave my body. My neighbor was outside tinkering with his lawn mowers, birds were chirping away and every kid in town was outside playing. A truly beautiful day!
The way the sun peeked from behind the clouds Thursday promising a better tomorrow reminded me of a scripture that speaks about how God has placed a deposit in us who have trusted Christ for forgiveness of our sins.
“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:13, 14 (NIV)
This promise reminds us that we get so much more than a few days of sunshine and a reprieve from foul weather. It’s a guarantee of our future.
Among the things we will receive in heaven is relief from suffering and death:
Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat upon them,
nor any scorching heat. Rev. 7:16, 17
He (God Himself)will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Rev. 21:4
There will be no more darkness:
There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they(that’s us) will reign for ever and ever. Rev. 22:5
We will have new bodies (thank God for that promise!):
1Corinthians 15 - You’re going to have to read that one for yourself.
That’s just for starters. Of course, there is also my very favorite bible verse which is Romans 5:1:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
That’s a promise for the here and now. I rejoice in knowing that I have been reconciled with God - I don’t have to be afraid, don’t have to worry about measuring up, of trying to meet some unreachable standard. I am able to turn to God instead of hightailing it in the opposite direction. Jesus has made this possible.
That peace, those promises plus forgiveness for all wrongdoing is available to anyone who wants it.
Don’t worry - no matter what you have done, you are not too bad for God to forgive you. Conversely, you are also not too good not to need God and His forgiveness.
If you would like to share in these blessings (& more besides) here is all you need to do:
1. Admit you have done wrong. You have sinned. Sin means to “miss the mark” of God’s standard. If you have done one thing wrong (1 lie, 1 curse) you have missed the mark. Romans 3:23 says “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”.
2. The penalty for our sin is death. Romans 6:23 says “The wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
3. Know that Jesus has made full payment for the penalty of our sin (remember - that’s death). Romans 5:8 says that “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. That is so awesome to me. God knows all about me and loves me anyway - and doesn’t excuse my sin and say it’s okay, but pays my debt Himself, making a way for me to be completely and totally accepted by Him.
4. Finally, as Romans 10:9, 10 says ”That, 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. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess, and are saved.”
Don’t be afraid - the bible says that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. Ask Jesus to forgive your sin, He promised never to turn anyone away. Trust Him. Don’t worry about your feelings - remember - the One who knows you best, loves you most.
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If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me.
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