Gospel
Matthew 27:38 Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left. (NKJV)
Luke 23:39-43 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us." But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong." Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." (NKJV)
Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus our Lord, this week perhaps is the greatest time for us as believers. The week marks the culmination of our deliverance from sins enslavement and power. Christ freed us to be what we were created to be (before Adams fall) by His suffering unto death carrying our sins, His burial, and ultimately His Resurrection from that tomb and Him giving us resurrection life right now. As I watched the movie the Passion of the Christ, probably one of the most significant scenes for me was when my Lord and Savior was on the cross between the two thieves and in His suffering last moments the Lord Jesus showed His great desire to save lost humanity. I listened to a message by Pastor Greg Laurie and heard him point out from the gospels that both of the thieves initially mocked and cursed the Lord Jesus Christ, but after one of them heard our Lord pray for those who were crucifying Him that thief repented.
Both thieves were guilty (just as all of us are guilty), but one was declared innocent by the Lord Jesus Christ only because the man sincerely repented (or turned in his heart from his sin and gave his heart and sin to Christ). This man did no good deeds in his life to merit Christ mercy to him. He could not because he was about to die on a cross. On the contrary, the other thieves’ heart remained hardened and he did not turn his heart to the Lord Jesus for forgiveness. We see in these two men the clear picture of the simultaneous working of election and free will coming together in eternal salvation or eternal damnation.
Christianity is not a religion, but an encounter with the one true living God (Jesus Christ) when we see our complete worthlessness and see His pure Holiness. When we see our helpless, sinful condition we will then do what one of these thieves did and say, “LORD” at that moment he worshiped Jesus Christ and acknowledged Him as his own personal LORD. Jesus Christ is LORD but every person has to receive Him as their own personal LORD of their heart. Christ Jesus our Lord said to the thief, “Surely (not maybe) you will be with Me in Paradise. Wherever Jesus is that’s Paradise.
We cannot do anything to be approved by Christ, but He only wants us to open our hearts and let Him enter and He will from that moment do anything and everything to make us just like Him. As Christ is making us like Him, He is enabling us to love what He loves and hate what He hates. Therein stands a true Christian not by what he has done, but by what Jesus Christ has done to him.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh {and} new has come! (Quick Amplified Bible)
Jeremiah 31:33 But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel: After those days, says the Lord, I will put My law within them, and on their hearts will I write it; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. (Quick Amplified Bible)
Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr. (Author Silent Assassins of the Soul; not yet published; coming soon as my Lord wills)
Morning
“Jesus said unto them, If ye seek me, let these go their way.”
- Joh_18:8
Mark, my soul, the care which Jesus manifested even in his hour of trial, towards the sheep of his hand! The ruling passion is strong in death. He resigns himself to the enemy, but he interposes a word of power to set his disciples free. As to himself, like a sheep before her shearers he is dumb and opened not his mouth, but for his disciples’ sake he speaks with almighty energy. Herein is love, constant, self-forgetting, faithful love. But is there not far more here than is to be found upon the surface? Have we not the very soul and spirit of the atonement in these words? The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep, and pleads that they must therefore go free. The Surety is bound, and justice demands that those for whom he stands a substitute should go their way. In the midst of Egypt’s bondage, that voice rings as a word of power, “Let these go their way.” Out of slavery of sin and Satan the redeemed must come. In every cell of the dungeons of Despair, the sound is echoed, “Let these go their way,” and forth come Despondency and Much-afraid. Satan hears the well-known voice, and lifts his foot from the neck of the fallen; and Death hears it, and the grave opens her gates to let the dead arise. Their way is one of progress, holiness, triumph, glory, and none shall dare to stay them in it. No lion shall be on their way, neither shall any ravenous beast go up thereon. “The hind of the morning” has drawn the cruel hunters upon himself, and now the most timid roes and hinds of the field may graze at perfect peace among the lilies of his loves. The thunder-cloud has burst over the Cross of Calvary, and the pilgrims of Zion shall never be smitten by the bolts of vengeance. Come, my heart, rejoice in the immunity which thy Redeemer has secured thee, and bless his name all the day, and every day.
By Charles H. Spurgeon
THE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION
"If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."-- Rom_10:9.
SALVATION IS a great word. It is conjugated in three tenses:
The Past Tense. We were saved at the moment when we first trusted Christ. This salvation is a distinct and definite matter, which is ours at the moment we exercise simple faith in Jesus. "Being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him" (Rom_5:9).
The Present Tense. "To us who are being saved, Christ is the power of God," such is the accurate rendering of 1Co_1:18. We are being saved perpetually from the love and power of sin. The disinfectant of Christ's Presence is ever warding off the germs of deadly temptation. The mighty arm of the Divine Keeper is always holding the door against the attempts of the adversary. The water is always flowing over the eye to remove the tiny grit or mote that may alight. "We are being saved by His life" (Rom_5:10).
The Future Tense. We are being kept by the power of God unto a salvation which waits to be revealed in the last time (1 Pet. 1.). Salvation is a great word. It includes the forgiveness that remembers our sin no more; deliverance from the curse and penalty of our evil ways; emancipation from the thrall of evil habit; the growing conformity of the soul to the image of Christ, and the final resurrection of the body in spiritual beauty and energy, to be for ever the companion and vehicle of the redeemed spirit.
PRAYER
Oh blessed Spirit of God, we pray Thee to give us the assurance of being the children of God, the sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty; and so prepare us for the glory to be revealed to us, and for that great hour when the whole creation, which now groans and travails in pain, shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. AMEN.
By F. B. Meyer
How Can God Forgive Your Sin, Save You From Sin, and @#!*% ?
First:
You must confess that you are a sinner having broken GOD'S moral laws and deserve death and total separation ( @#!*% & The Lake of Fire) from a Holy and Righteous GOD.
Scripture Verses: Acts 2: 19-21; Romans 10: 9-10; Proverbs 28:13
Second:
You must REPENT of your SINS. This means to change or alter your mind, conduct, and purpose from evil to good: to turn yourself away from all known SIN, be willing to stop sinning and turn your heart (will) to GOD.
Scripture Verses: Luke 13: 1-5; 2 Corinthians. 7: 10; Acts 2: 38-39
Third:
You must by FAITH accept JESUS CHRIST as your personal LORD and SAVIOR. The word LORD means to make JESUS Master, Controller, and Supreme in Authority in your LIFE from now until you meet HIM face to face. Example; you’ve been in the drivers seat of your LIFE, now you let go of the steering wheel and move over to the passengers seat and allow JESUS to take the wheel of your LIFE. Believe means to PUT YOUR TRUST IN. Example, as you would trust a parachute before jumping out of an airplane or a Surgeon before he/she operates on you or a chair before you sit in it. You don't think or reason you just simply trust. You will be born again or born from above by God the Holy Spirit.
Scripture Verses: John 3: 14-18; Hebrews 11: 1; Hebrews 11: 6; Luke 11: 23; Mark 8: 34-38; Matthew 10: 33; John 3:3
Fourth:
You must read the Word of GOD everyday and obey what you read.
Scripture Verses: John 8: 51; Matthew 12: 50; 1 Peter 2:2
Pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him)
Dear Lord Jesus,I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...
Resurrection Life Evangelistic Ministries
“Where the Life we live is all because of The Lord Jesus Christ we Love”
John 11:25 “And Jesus said to her, I am the Resurrection and the Life”
Clifford D. Tate, Sr., Evangelist
803 Ethel Street
Tallulah, La. 71282
Email:[email protected]
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
Reader Count & Comments
Date
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that
deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.
This article has been read 938 times < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Clifford Tate or search for other articles by topic below.
This article has been read 938 times < Previous | Next >
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.