|
Relationship With God
Becoming a Christian has everything to do with our relationship
with God. Our salvation hinges on the fact that we are either in a
right relationship with God or we are not. Salvation is about our
personal relationship with God right now. It is possible to go to
worship assemblies, be a generally nice person and still not be
right with God. God wants all of us to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4),
yet he doesn’t force himself on us and take away our free will.
We have the right to accept him or reject him, and based on that
decision we will receive the blessings or consequences of that
choice.
Sin
Sin is produced when we violate the laws of God. Sin separates us
from God. In Romans 3:23 we learn that we all have sinned and
fallen short of the glory of God. In this matter, we are all in
the same boat. Romans 6:23 teaches us that the consequence for our
sin, for being separated from God, is spiritual death. The first
step to spiritual wellness is accepting the fact that we are
sinners and that we must confront the sin in our lives. No
excuses, no blaming - just total honesty with ourselves and God.
For more information on Sin, click
here.
Grace
There are many people who live guilt-ridden lives because they
believe that they can somehow work their way to heaven by doing
good deeds. Sin isn’t made right by doing good deeds. Sin can
only be made right by God’s grace (Ephesians 1:7). This grace is
ours through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9). Jesus came to earth
to give his life as a ransom for our sins (1 Timothy 2:6). He paid
the price that we should have paid. He endured pain, suffering and
separation from God on the cross so that we might be set free from
sin. This wonderful gift is called grace.
For more information on Grace, click
here.
Living a Life of Faith
Faith is a way of life for the Christian. Hebrews 11:1 teaches us
that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what
we have not seen. Faith goes beyond seeing with our eyes or
touching with our hands. In Romans 10:17 we learn that faith comes
by hearing the Word of God. The foundation of Christian faith is
our belief that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus became like us, he
died on the cross and was raised from the dead that we might be
forgiven of our sins and have the hope of heaven. Our faith will
continue to grow as we listen to his Word and put it into action
in our lives. We must live our faith.
For more information on Living a Life of Faith, click
here.
Living a Life of Repentance
Repentance is a Biblical word that simply means to turn 100
percent away from something. As we look at our lives and we see
the sin that is there, we need to have hearts that want to turn
away from that sin. We want God to know that we don’t take his
grace for granted and that we truly want to be the people he wants
us to be. Repenting of sins is a way of life for a Christian. We
are continually turning away from our sins and striving to be more
like Jesus (Acts 3:19).
For more information on Living a Life of Repentance, click
here.
Living a Life of Acknowledgment
Jesus taught us that to be a follower of his, our lives must
acknowledge our relationship with him. There is no such thing as a
neutral Christian. In Matthew 10:32-33 Jesus said, "Whoever
acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my
Father in heaven. {33} But whoever disowns me before men, I will
disown him before my Father in heaven. In Romans 10:9-10 we learn
that a part of our salvation requires that we must be willing to
confess our faith before others. Confessing our faith with our
mouths is a way of life for the Christian.
For more information on Living a Life of Acknowledgment, click
here.
Living Our Baptism
When the Church first began, the people listening to Peter asked
what they must do to be saved. Peter replied, "Repent and be
baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38) Baptism is the moment in faith when
we submit our lives to God. We obey him and allow ourselves to be
immersed in water. By faith we believe that it is during this
moment that God keeps his promise to us and washes away our sins.
Baptism is the commitment moment of our lives. As we read the New
Testament we see in every example that before a person can be
right with God he/she must first be immersed for the forgiveness
of his/her sins.
For more information on Living Our Baptism, click
here.
Living a New Life
When a person becomes a Christian, he/she becomes a new person.
He/she no longer plays the games of the world or lives by the
world’s standards. This doesn’t make a Christian a
"better than thou" kind of person. A Christian is in
touch with his/her relationship with God. Christians live their
lives to bring honor and glory to their Lord Jesus. They are a new
creation and strive to live their lives in continuous renewal. In
Romans 6:3-4 the apostle Paul said, {3} "Or don't you know
that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized
into his death? {4} We were therefore buried with him through
baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from
the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new
life.
For more information on Living a New Life, click
here.
Search the Scriptures for Yourself!
If you have never accepted Jesus as the Lord and Savior of your
life, or never committed your life to him in baptism, we urge you
to not simply take our word for the truth, but to read the Word of
God that you may see it as God said it. We also invite you to come
study with us, or e-mail
us with any questions you might have.
|
