Apicontent – Page 178

51001 Who is the Real Jesus?

Two thousand years ago a man set foot on our planet who claimed to be from another world. A world that has always existed and will never end. Although he was born in poverty and had no credentials or political backing, his life and words changed our world. His name is Jesus Christ.

Jesus never wrote a book, commanded an army, held a political office, or owned property. He mostly traveled within a hundred miles of his village, attracting enormous crowds who were amazed at his provocative words and stunning deeds, such as healing the blind, lame and deaf. He reportedly turned water into wine, created food for the hungry, and stopped a powerful storm in an instant.

While most great people simply fade into history books, Jesus of Nazareth is still the focus of thousands of books and stirring media controversy. And much of that controversy revolves around the radical claims Jesus made about himself—claims that a normal man could never have made. Although Jesus frequently referred to himself as the Son of Man, he also claimed to be the Son of God.

It was primarily Jesus’ outrageous claims that caused him to be viewed as a threat by both the Roman authorities and the Jewish hierarchy. Author John Piper further explains how Jesus continually shocked his audience.

“Jesus’ friends and enemies were staggered again and again by what he said and did. He would be walking down the road, seemingly like any other man, then turn and say, ‘The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.’ To the dead he might simply say, ‘Come forth,’ or, ‘Rise up.’ And they would obey. To the storms on the sea he would say, ‘Be still.’ And to a loaf of bread he would say, ‘Become a thousand meals.’ And it was done immediately.”¹

Imagine the shock of those who witnessed Jesus say and do such things. The big question people had was: “Who is he?” And many people today are still wondering, “Who is the Real Jesus Christ?”

His followers believe Jesus is who he claimed to be, the Son of God. However, many others believe Jesus was simply a great moral teacher who had special insight and personal magnetism.

Was Jesus Just a Great Man?

Righteous Character

Jesus said he had come to fulfill the Jewish law, not to abolish it. He was said to have obeyed all the commandments, being an example of personal purity. He continually reached out to people in need, demonstrating love and compassion.

Martin Luther King was amazed at Jesus’ overwhelming, love even for his enemies.

“He did not seek to overcome evil with evil. He overcame evil with good. Although crucified by hate, he responded with aggressive love.” (Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes about Jesus)²

Hindu activist Mahatma Gandhi spoke of Jesus as “a person who, in his love for the poor, oppressed, and outcast, stood against evil with his whole being to the end, despite the threat of violence.”³

The French philosopher Rousseau wrote of Jesus as Plato’s perfect man.

“When Plato describes his imaginary righteous man . . . he describes exactly the character of Christ. . . . If the life and death of Socrates are those of a philosopher, the life and death of Jesus Christ are those of a God.”⁴

Great Moral Teacher

Almost all scholars acknowledge that Jesus was a great moral teacher. In fact, his brilliant insight into human morality is an accomplishment recognized even by those of other religions.

Jewish scholar Joseph Klausner also accepted Jesus as a great moral teacher. He wrote, “It is universally admitted … that Christ taught the purest and sublimest ethics … which throws the moral precepts and maxims of the wisest men of antiquity far into the shade.”⁵

Jesus’ entire ministry was built upon truth: the truth about God; the truth about himself; and the truth about us. Jesus told his followers, “I am the truth!”

Literary scholar C. S. Lewis writes of how Jesus’ teaching was radically different from others.

“The things He says are very different from what any other teacher has said. Others say, ‘This is the truth about the Universe. This is the way you ought to go.’ But He says, ‘No man can reach absolute reality, except through Me.’”⁶

Jesus’ words speak to the human condition of sin and our need of God. His teaching about God’s love and forgiveness impacts us today. And Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount has been called the most superlative teaching of human ethics ever uttered by an individual. Historian Will Durant said of Jesus that “he lived and struggled unremittingly for ‘equal rights.’”⁷

Although he was an outsider with no credentials or political powerbase, within three years, Jesus changed the world for the next 20 centuries. Other moral and religious leaders have left an impact—but nothing like that unknown carpenter from Nazareth. For example,

Human rights have been founded upon Jesus’ teaching
Democracy is based on Jesus’ teaching
Equal rights of women and minorities resulted from Jesus’ teaching
Slavery was abolished as a result of Jesus’ teaching
Schools and universities were founded to spread Jesus’ teaching
Charities and hospitals were founded as a result of Jesus’ teaching
Countless addicts have been rehabilitated by his teaching

Yale historian Jaroslav Pelikan summarizes Jesus Christ’s impact on our world.

“Regardless of what anyone may personally think or believe about him, Jesus of Nazareth has been the dominant figure in the history of Western culture for almost twenty centuries. … It is from his birth that most of the human race dates its calendars, it is by his name that millions curse and in his name that millions pray.”⁸

When the great secular historian H. G. Wells was asked who has left the greatest legacy on history, he replied, “By this test Jesus stands first.”⁹ Historian Philip Schaff summarizes the positive impact of Jesus’ life and words.

“Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander the Great, Caesar…and Napoleon….He shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; he spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since, and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet.”

God in Skin?

How is it that in just three years, a mere Jewish carpenter was able to change our world in such a dramatic way? Could it be that Jesus Christ was more than a mere man? Could it be that he was who he claimed to be: the only Son of God?

In his classic book, The World’s Great Religions, Huston Smith observed,

“Only two people ever astounded their contemporaries so much that the question they evoked was not ‘Who is he?’ but ‘What is he?’ They were Jesus and Buddha. The answers these two gave were exactly the opposite. Buddha said unequivocally that he was a mere man, not a god—almost as if he foresaw later attempts to worship him. Jesus, on the other hand, claimed … to be divine.”¹⁰

Jesus had all the attributes and needs of a man. He got hungry. He felt pain. He required rest. He was tempted—yet without sin. However, Ravi Zacharias writes of Jesus Christ as more than just a man.

“Here, then, is the man from Nazareth, who claimed that His origin was from heaven and that His Father is none other than God Himself—a son not born out of physical consummation nor out of a need for communion, but the consummate expression of God in the flesh, in eternal communion with the Father.”¹¹

Jesus spoke of his Father as God, and himself as his only Son who had always existed with the Father. One of Jesus’ followers, Philip, wanted to see God the Father. Jesus replied to him,

“You’ve been with me all this time, Philip, and you still don’t understand? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?” (John 14:9 The Message)

On another day Jesus stunned the Jewish religious leaders by stating,

“The Father and I are one.” (John 10:30 NLT)

These Jewish scholars realized Jesus was claiming equality with God, so they picked up stones to kill him. But what did Jesus mean? If he meant he was just in agreement with his Father, they would have responded much differently.

Jesus told the religious leaders on another occasion that those who obeyed his teaching would never die. They immediately shot back, “Even Abraham…died, but you say that those who obey your teaching will never die! Who do you think you are? You aren’t even fifty years old. How can you have seen Abraham?’

Jesus answered, ‘The truth is, before Abraham was, I AM!’” (John 8: 57, 58)

Jesus’ words, “I AM” had a unique meaning to the Jews. Larry Hurtado explains,

“Indeed, this use of “I am” …alludes to Old Testament passages where God uses the same sort of self-referential language.”¹²

Jesus certainly knew what the Jewish leaders’ reaction would be to his use of God’s holy name. Since Jesus had used God’s holy name (I AM) for himself, the Jewish leaders took up stones to kill him. Lewis explains why they wanted to have Jesus killed.

“He says…’I am begotten of the One God, before Abraham was, I am,’ and remember what the words ‘I am’ were in Hebrew. They were the name of God, which must not be spoken by any human being, the name which it was death to utter.”¹³

Following are a few of Jesus’ other I AM claims expressing his deity.

“I AM the light of the world” (John 8:12)
“I AM the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6)
“I AM the only way to the Father” (John 14:6)
“I AM the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25)
“I AM the Alpha and Omega” (Rev.1:7,8)

Not only did Jesus use God’s name for himself, but he also accepted worship on nine occasions. Nothing is more fundamental to the Hebrew Scriptures than the fact that God alone is to be worshiped. In fact, the first of the sacred Ten Commandments is, “Do not worship any other gods besides me” (Exodus 20:3 NLT).

So, unless Jesus is God, it would have been blasphemy for him to willingly receive worship. Yet, after Thomas saw the resurrected Jesus, he shouted, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) If Jesus was not divine, Thomas would have been committing blasphemy, and Jesus would have reprimanded him. But instead, he blessed Thomas for worshiping him as “Lord and God.”

Lewis also noted that Jesus forgave sins, something exclusively reserved for God. It’s difficult to realize the shock Jesus’ radical claims created with both his friends and enemies. Lewis explains.

“Then comes the real shock,’ wrote Lewis: ‘Among these Jews there suddenly turns up a man who goes about talking as if He was God. He claims to forgive sins. He says He always existed. He says He is coming to judge the world at the end of time.”¹⁴

Although historians acknowledge Jesus as a great moral leader, former skeptic C. S. Lewis says that Jesus couldn’t be just a great moral teacher.

As Lewis read the accounts of Jesus Christ, the great literary scholar reasoned that Jesus claimed to be something much more than just a man or moral teacher. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. He writes,

“I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say.”¹⁵

Lewis means that if Jesus wasn’t being truthful about his claim of deity, then he wouldn’t have been a great moral teacher. If Jesus isn’t God, then he would either have been intentionally lying or he would have been a lunatic.

Did Jesus Prove His Deity?

Toward the end of Jesus’ three-year ministry, he told his disciples that he needed to go to Jerusalem where he would be condemned and killed by his enemies. This was utterly devastating news! They had spent three years with him night and day, experiencing his friendship, witnessing his many miracles and listening to his enlightening words about God’s love and grace. They were stunned!

However, Jesus told them something else they didn’t fully understand. He said that after his death that he would rise again on the third day (Mark 10:33, 34). Seven hundred years earlier, the prophet Isaiah wrote that the Messiah would suffer and die for our sins, but later be restored to life. Jesus was telling them that, as the Messiah, he was the one who Isaiah had written about (Isaiah 53).

However, his disciples had no comprehension of the invisible and infinite God becoming a human being, much less being crucified and raised from the dead. We are told that it was only after Jesus’ death and resurrection that they understood the meaning of his words (Luke 24:8)

By promising that he would be killed and rise on the third day, Jesus put his entire ministry on the line. If he did defeat death, it would validate his claim to deity. And it would mean that everything he told us about God, about himself, and about our purpose and destiny is true, including his words, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me shall though he die, yet shall he live.” (John 11:25 ESV)

But if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, everything he claimed and taught would be rendered meaningless. Furthermore, his disciples would no longer believe what he had claimed about himself. Bible scholar Wilbur Smith explains,

“When he said He would rise again from the dead, the third day after He was crucified, He said something that only a fool would dare say if He expected the devotion of any disciples – unless He was sure He was going to rise.”¹⁶

As Jesus had predicted, he was taken prisoner by his enemies and eventually condemned to death. His Jewish enemies turned him over to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, who had him crucified between two thieves.

Jesus hung on the cross for six hours before he died. A Roman guard pierced his side to make sure he was dead. Then he was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy member of the Jewish council. Roman guards were ordered by Pilate to maintain a 24-hour watch at the tomb.

Meanwhile, Jesus’ disciples had gone into hiding, fearing they also would incur the wrath of the Jewish religious leaders, and possibly be executed like Jesus.

But on the third day, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb with some other women and claimed to have seen Jesus alive. Then Peter, John, and later the other disciples also claim to have seen him alive. Soon the word spread like wildfire.

As Peter Steinfels of The New York Times writes, “something happened.”

“Shortly after Jesus was executed, his followers were suddenly galvanized from a baffled and cowering group into people whose message about a living Jesus and a coming kingdom, preached at the risk of their lives, eventually changed an empire. Something happened…But exactly what?”¹⁷

One man who wanted to know what happened was English journalist, Frank Morison. His plan was to write a book proving the resurrection account false. He believed the last period of Jesus’ life was mythical, and his resurrection was based on bad history.

Morison Researches the Evidence

First, Morison discovered Jesus’ death was a fact of history that was verified by both Jewish and Roman historians. In fact, during the lifetimes of the eyewitnesses, no one disputes Jesus’ death. All leading historians today acknowledge Jesus’ death as a historical certainty.

Morison then wondered if the disciples had conspired a plot to make it appear Jesus had risen. However, there are three main problems with that theory:

The tomb was secured by a large stone with a 24-hour trained Roman guard. It would have been impossible for the disciples to roll the stone away and remove Jesus’ body without notice.
A resurrection plot would have died out as soon as someone discovered Jesus’ body, yet that never happened. Tom Anderson, former president of the California Trial Lawyers Association, explains, “With an event so well publicized, don’t you think that it’s reasonable that one historian, one eye witness, one antagonist would record for all time that he had seen Christ’s body? … The silence of history is deafening when it comes to the testimony against the resurrection.”¹⁸
The disciples changed from being cowards into men who were willing to be tortured and martyred by proclaiming the risen Jesus. Professor J. N. D. Anderson, author of Evidence for the Resurrection reasons, “Think of the psychological absurdity of picturing a little band of defeated cowards cowering in an upper room one day and a few days later transformed into a company that no persecution could silence – and then attempting to attribute this dramatic change to nothing more convincing than a miserable fabrication … That simply wouldn’t make sense.”¹⁹

It was the dramatic change in the disciples’ behavior that convinced Morison he needed to change the theme of his book. He writes, “Whoever comes to this problem has sooner or later to confront a fact that cannot be explained away … This fact is that … a profound conviction came to the little group of people – a change that attests to the fact that Jesus had risen from the grave.”²⁰

Jesus had kept his promise to his disciples, and their lives were changed. They now understood and believed that he is who he claimed to be: God in skin. As our Creator, he alone is the one who can change our lives.

C. S. Lewis asks, “What are we to make of Jesus Christ?”²¹ He says, “The real question is not what are we to make of Christ, but what is He to make of us?”²²

In other words, as our Creator, Jesus made us for a purpose. It’s up to us to find our purpose in him. John’s Gospel gives us this statement of Jesus’ true identity and his promise of eternal life for those who put their trust in him.

“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:11–12)

Jesus offers forgiveness of sin and promises eternal life to those who put their faith in him. Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ? As God, he is the only one who can answer life’s most important questions:

“Who am I?”
“Why am I here?”
“Where am I going after I die?

If you would like to learn more about Jesus’ offer of forgiveness and his free gift of eternal life we encourage you to read the article at the link below.

Endnotes

43008 Discover God’s Plan for You

Another amazing reality of being a new creation in Christ is that you can now discover God’s master plan for your life!

In the Old Testament book of Jeremiah, we find these words, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

God is your Creator. He designed and created you for his purpose. As his creation, you will be most fulfilled when you follow his plan. You are uniquely and exquisitely designed for God’s good and wonderful purpose.

God is your loving Father who desires you to become who he created you to be. As a spiritually newborn, you are to grow up. Your earthly life will serve as a training ground to prepare you for all eternity!

Being a child of God also means that you are expected to be in your Father’s business. You will be doing what Jesus was sent to the world to do. He has specific assignments for you to accomplish here on earth according to His perfect master plan. God wants you to advance His purposes. When you are lost in his purpose, you will experience his best.

As critical as a role you play in God’s master plan, it is not about you. This may surprise you, but it is not about you because God loves you deeply. We are not designed to be at the center of the universe. God’s creation and his masterplan are all about Jesus “so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11).

43007 Enjoy God’s Family

We are so excited that you have decided to begin a relationship with God through Jesus Christ!

John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

However, receiving Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord not only makes a difference for your eternal destiny but also has immediate ramifications for your life now. The Bible promises, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

You are now a new person in Christ!

That means, among other things you will soon learn, that you now belong to a new family, God’s family.

God is your loving Father, and He designed and created you to be His child for all eternity. You are born again into God’s family. That is why Jesus calls us his brothers and sisters (Hebrews 2:11)! Imagine, the Lord and King, Master of all creation, is also your brother!

Jesus says that “whoever does the will of myFather in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:50). He also promises that “whoever has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:29). God is our Father, and those who are in Christ are all brothers and sisters. By choosing to believe in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you now have a whole new family! That is why Paul instructs Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:1 to treat fellow believers in Christ as if they were members of his family.

You are no longer alone!

43006 Depend on the Spirit

God is serious when he declares that those who are in Christ are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Becoming new in Christ is not like an upgrade of your operating system. It’s more like changing your operating system from one kind to another (e.g. Microsoft vs. Apple vs. Google). It is like changing the engine of your car from a diesel engine to a gas engine. You are spiritually born again. If you try to live the way you lived before you placed your faith in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you will soon become exasperatingly frustrated.

You were transferred out of the domain of darkness into the kingdom of his beloved Son, Jesus. It is like a polar bear transported to Sahara desert. Your native spiritual environment has completely changed. Jesus declares that you are the sons and daughters of light (John 12:36).

As a new creation in Christ, you have an entirely different source of life. That source is the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Triune God.

The mark of being a true Christian is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in that person. “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)

It is an amazing truth that Jesus relied on the Holy Spirit when he walked on earth. The Gospel according to Luke records that “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness” (Luke 4:1) and that “Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee” (Luke 4:14).

If Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit and led by the Spirit, how critical it is for us to learn to walk by the Holy Spirit to become more like Jesus.

Walking by the Holy Spirit is a relatively simple concept, but to become good at living in his presence requires discipline and practice. It is an exciting life-long journey of adventure because it is relational. The Holy Spirit is trustworthy but unpredictable!

43005 Accept God’s Love

Consider Jesus’ directions to His disciples shortly before His crucifixion:

As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love (John 15:9, NKJV). This is love passing from God to Jesus to His disciples. And His directive is to “Live in My Love.”

In order to experience all God has planned for us, we must first understand the incredible love He has for us. So how can God’s magnificent love become more real to you?

Think about God’s sacrificial love for you.

The holy, almighty Creator of the universe was willing to leave the glorious throne room of Heaven, endure humiliating torture at the hands of His creation, and die a horrific death on a cross so our sin would no longer be a barrier to the love relationship He wants with us.

The Bible explains, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, NKJV).

Jesus told His disciples, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13, NKJV). Jesus wants you to be His friend and was willing to pay the ultimate price to make that possible.

Think about God’s fatherly love for you.

God not only paid the price for your sin, He adopted you into His forever family. He has chosen to be your Heavenly Father and assumes all responsibility and care for you as His beloved child. You now have family privileges.

The apostle John expressed it like this: “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1, NKJV).

Think about God’s generous love for you.

Our Heavenly Father is not just committed to your well-being. He lavishes His love upon you in a myriad of different ways. Not only did He design you, He also has mapped out a perfect course for your life that will result in your utmost joy and fulfillment.

The Bible promises, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17, NKJV).

No person will ever love you more, be as committed to you, or make a greater sacrifice for you than your Heavenly Father. When you understand God’s incredible love for you, it rightly takes your focus off of trying to fill your need for love through human relationships. It helps you to rest in His love regardless of your circumstances. Human love from imperfect beings will often fail you, but God’s love is solid truth that will last forever. And that is the truth!

The Transforming Truth of God’s Love

Jesus told His disciples, “you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). The truth will set you free from a loveless pattern of life. Knowing the truth (and believing it) enables you to enter into a much deeper awareness of the amazing love God has for you.

New Testament Scripture reminds us of this truth. Paul wrote, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you might prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2, NKJV). Transformation happens when our minds are renewed in truth.

Clearly we will come to see God’s love only when our minds are renewed—when we believe the truth of who God is and what He has done for us. Trying (and failing) to obey rules or good laws will not bring us into the promised land of God’s love.

43003 Assurance of Your Salvation

The assurance of our relationship with God is based on the authority of His Word. God loves you and you are His child. This is the reality for all who have believed in Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Your subjective feelings do not change God’s objective truths about you.

On a cloudy or rainy day, you do not see the sun. That does not mean that the sun is no longer there. The sun is just as bright and warm behind those clouds. In the same way, you may not feel close to God at times. That does not mean that God is no longer in you. The promise of God is unchangeable. “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you” (Hebrews 13:5). The Holy Spirit who now dwells in you is there to stay because God “sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment” (2 Corinthians 1:22).

When you start to feel as if your relationship with God doesn’t exist, go to the facts of the Bible to strengthen your faith in God’s love for you. We live by faith in the trustworthiness of God, and His Word. Our faith is anchored in the truth of God’s Word, and in what we know about God’s character.

That is why God through the Apostle Paul commands us: “Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2). You renew your mind with the truths of the Word of God. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak through His Word, and you will fully embrace who God truly is and who you are in Christ.

The late Dr. Bill Bright, co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, gives us a helpful illustration.

The truths of who God is and God’s Word are the fact that drives your Christian living. It is powered by your faith. Your feelings are for the ride. The train will run with or without the passenger car (FEELING).

Feelings are powerful. God has given them to us as a gift. Like everything beautiful God has given to humanity, feelings have become out of control because of our sins. But redeemed by Christ, feelings can serve their original purposes when they are brought under the Lordship of Jesus. Feelings no longer control us. We control feelings by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. Our feelings will often follow when we move (act) by faith in God and in His Word.

You now live in a new reality. You are in Christ. Now you need to live it out. By faith in God and his trustworthiness, you can change your perspective and begin to live a life according to the new reality.

42107 Are You Going to Heaven?

What if you died tonight? Are you absolutely confident where you will dwell in eternity?

What if you are wrong?

A new study from the Barna Research Group revealed that most Americans believe that “every person has a soul that will live forever, either in God’s presence or absence.”

And most people believe that they are going to Heaven.

However, Jesus taught that Heaven is not an automatic destination.

Jesus said: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13, 14, NIV).

Jesus asked this profound question: “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36, 37, NIV).

Is anything more important than knowing where you will spend eternity?

The Bible teaches there are only two destinations where people spend eternity. One is in Heaven, with God’s presence forever and the other is in Hell, separated from God’s presence forever.

This separation place, which was created by God, was designed for the devil and his angels. Jesus spoke of this place when He said, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels…”(Matthew 25:41, NKJV).

It is not God’s desire for man to dwell there (1 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9). The Lord says, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked,.. Turn, turn from your evil ways!” (Ezekiel 33:11, NKJV). But we have the power to send ourselves there through unbelief or ignorance. We decide where we will spend eternity.

God is very interested in the choice you will make that will decide your eternal destination. The apostle John said, “I 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.” (1 John 5:13, NIV). Believe it or not, God wants you to know that you can spend eternity with him. Do you want to know more about this guarantee?

Other religions offer no guarantees that you will go to Heaven. Islam teaches that one must do good deeds and that salvation can only be attained through Allah being pleased with you.

In Hinduism, the law of Karma says you reap what you sow but you never know your form of rebirth until after you die.

In Buddhism, rules are added, seemingly, without end.

These religions are based upon the word “do”. Do this or do that and maybe you will get to Heaven. None provide the assurance that you can reach Heaven or nirvana. Only in Christ, or Christianity, can you be sure if you are going to Heaven.

So how does the Bible answer this question about how you can be sure where you will spend eternity?

Our sin separates us from God. Romans 6:23 explains, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”(NIV). But God has provided a remedy for this separation caused by the effects of sin.

“God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NLT).

Because of his great love for us, Jesus took the punishment we fully deserve by voluntarily dying on the cross for us. God the Father poured out his wrath toward sin on God the Son. Jesus became the perfect sacrifice for our sins. He became our substitute.

When Jesus was on the cross, he said, “It is finished”(John 19:30). The Greek word translated “it is finished” was normally written across certificates of debt when they were canceled. It meant “paid in full”.

Three days after his death, Jesus Christ arose from the grave, just like he said he would do. He then blazed a new path to Heaven, opening the way for all of those who would trust in him, to follow.

Jesus Christ paid in full our debt of sin and now God does not have to judge us as our sin deserves.

As believers in Christ, we are welcomed into God’s home, Heaven.

So what must we do to go to Heaven?

According to the Bible, there is only one way to Heaven. Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, NLT).

“…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.” (Romans 10:9-10, NIV).

You are saved from the direction sin was taking you, away from God to Hell — to the new direction caused by faith in Christ’s work, to be with God in Heaven.

Believing in Christ means that you put your total and complete trust in him for your salvation. But you need to choose to receive Christ and follow him.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12)

A criminal can be offered a pardon by the governor, but if it is rejected, that pardon has no effect. In the same way, Jesus offers us a complete pardon for all of our sins and the free gift of eternal life, but it is not put into effect unless it is accepted.

Are you ready to receive this free gift now?

Eternal life is a gift from God. You can’t do anything to earn it! But, like any gift, you can choose to accept or reject it.

Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony … God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:10-12, NIV).

It’s Your Choice

God has given every person the freedom to choose their own destiny. He didn’t have to do that. He could have created us to be robotic people programmed to love and obey him. But then our compulsory love would be meaningless. God wanted us to love him freely.

In real relationships, we want someone to love us for who we are, not out of compulsion. But to make freely exchanged love possible, God created human beings with a unique capacity: free will.

How will you choose? Will you choose to accept God’s amazing offer of forgiveness and eternal life? Or, will you decide to reject it or even ignore it? The choice is yours. But choose wisely because you are determining your eternal future.

Becoming a Christian not only involves your intellect and your emotions, it also involves your will. You must be willing to receive Christ by faith into your life.

Most people seek forgiveness and eternal life by being faithful members of some religion. However, although classified as a world religion, true Christianity is not about earning eternal life, but rather about receiving eternal life as a free gift from Jesus. It is not based on our works but rather on our relationship with Jesus.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8,9, NIV).

The Bible says it is impossible to earn entrance into heaven through our good works. Why? Because God’s holiness requires perfect obedience. And only Jesus was able to live that perfect life.

In order to receive God’s forgiveness for your sins, you must honestly face the claims of Jesus Christ and believe that He is God, that He died for your sins and rose again, and that He wants to come into your life.

God knows your thoughts and motives. He desires you to come to Him, thanking Him for Jesus’ death for you on the cross. You receive Jesus Christ into your life by faith alone. However, you can demonstrate your faith through prayer by personally asking Him to come into your life and forgive your sins. He wants to be your Lord and Savior.

If you have never invited Jesus into your life, simply pray the following words. But remember, it’s not the words you say but the attitude of your heart that is important.

“Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying for all my sins—past, present, and future.

Thank you for giving me eternal life, which you made possible by your death and resurrection. I receive you as my Savior by faith and desire you to be Lord of my life.

I give you the right to make me into the kind of person you want me to be.”

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? If so, pray it now or pray something similar using your own words.

When you ask Jesus Christ into your life, you begin a life with Him here on earth that will extend into all eternity. There are blessings for you to experience now as well as in heaven!

What was your response?

No, I did not invite Jesus into my life.

Yes, I prayed and invited Jesus into my life.

Yes, I prayed and rededicated my life to Jesus.

42106 Know God Personally

God Loves You

God loves you and offers you a way to connect with Him. He wants to have a relationship with you!

Through His plan of forgiveness, it’s possible to connect with God personally. We’re not talking about a religion but a personal relationship with the living God who created you.

Imagine that! The God of the universe cares about you personally. It’s true!

The Bible promises:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. ” (John 3:16, NLT).

God has made a way for you to come into a personal relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus declared,

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, NLT).

Because God is holy and just, He must punish sin. But He is also loving and merciful, so He has provided a way for you to have eternal life with Him in heaven.

God, in the person of His Son Jesus Christ, died on the cross for all of your sins – past, present, and future. Now He offers you a pardon for all of your sins.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23, ESV).

God loves you so much that He personally became the perfect substitute for your sins by dying on the cross and then rising from the dead.

God loves us. However, our sin separates us from God. The Apostle Paul explained the consequences and the solution,

“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, NIV).

In spite of our sinfulness, our loving and merciful God found a way for us to have a personal relationship with Him!

Jesus Christ—God’s Solution

In the Old Testament, people “paid” for their sin through the sacrifice of an animal. When Jesus came, He provided the ultimate sacrifice for our sin: a one-time last sacrifice that paid for all sin for all time.

Jesus entered the world through a supernatural conception (Matthew 1:18-25). He was God’s son, born of a woman: fully God and fully human.

When Jesus began his ministry, the Jewish religious leaders hated Him because Jesus claimed to be God (John 10:33)—which He actually was! The leaders just couldn’t accept that Jesus was the long-promised Messiah. In a mock trial, they convicted Him and turned Him over to the Romans to have Him executed. Jesus was crucified on a cross and then buried in a heavily guarded tomb. All hope seemed lost.

But, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day … just as He had promised (Matthew 16:21)! Historical records from eyewitnesses testify that Jesus Christ was then seen alive by over 500 people (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). He is alive today!

Wow! Isn’t that incredible? Jesus paid the penalty for our sins so we can spend eternity in heaven with God.

Jesus loves you. He offers you purpose in life, forgiveness for your sin, and eternity with Him in heaven. Beginning a personal relationship with Jesus is the most important decision anyone can make — a decision that has eternal significance.

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan–this rebirth comes from God. (John 1:12,13, NLT).

New Life in Christ

When you receive Jesus into your life, you instantly become a child of God through a spiritual birth and are assured of a home in heaven.

Yes, that’s right. The Bible says that before you die, you can be certain where you will spend eternity.

Jesus promised, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again. They are given eternal life for believing in me and will never perish….” (John 11:25, 26, NLT).

What does it mean to “believe in Jesus”? In the original Greek language, the word “believe” means to “trust in, cling to, rely upon.” In other words, “believe” in the original Greek language requires something active from you. It is not just intellectual acknowledgment that something is true.

Becoming a Christian is putting your faith in Jesus’ death for you on the cross, and in His resurrection for your eternal life. It is a choice that you make.