Salvation
God is Holy and cannot allow sin into heaven. We are each sinners from our youth, born into a sinful world. Sin is anything that goes against the law of God. Just as people who violate the law are taken to court, so we will stand before the judge (God) some day. Looking at only three of the Ten Commandments, have you ever lied, stolen, or cheated? If you were judged by these alone, would you be guilty or innocent? Those who are guilty are penalized with death. Spiritual death. Being forever separated from God, in a place called Hell, which was originally created for Satan and all his angles. Agony, pain, torture, sorrow – a lake of fire where people will grit their teeth and cry out in agony… forever. This is unfortunately were the guilty are sent.
But Jesus! (My most favorite phrase in the whole world.)
God sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to earth to pay that fine for us. Jesus died in our place upon the cross on Calvary! You were penalized with death, but because of the love God has for us, He wanted to pay it for you. And Jesus was willing to take your place!
Imagine that!
You’re standing in court and the javelin was just brought down condemning you to death to pay for the crimes you had committed. Then a man from the back comes forward and offers to take your place. The judge accepts the replacement. You are untied and the other man is taken away, leaving you free to go on with life. And, if I might add, you were also probably left speechless.
But Jesus! (There it is again.)
As Jesus was beaten and forced to bare the cross to Calvary, where He was nailed to it and hung to die an agonizing death, He was thinking of you. He was thinking of us. He was baring our penalty for us, so it only seems natural what was on His mind. Sin was brought into the world by one man, Adam, who disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, and now Salvation was being brought into the world by one man, Jesus, who obeyed God and took our place. Then three days later, Jesus rose from the dead and is now waiting in heaven for us.
The good news is that this is a free gift God wants to give us!
If I bought you a gift, what do you have to do to get it? Just reach your hand out and take it from my hands. It is now yours. Salvation is the same way. You need only to reach out and accept this gift. To accept it all you must do is acknowledge and confess you have broken God’s commandments and have sinned before Him, and believe that Jesus took your place on the cross, rising again three days later so you could live with Him forever if you choose!
Salvation, my friends, is not just for unbelievers either. This is for every human upon this earth. Every Christian should make it a daily practice to remind themselves of who they are without Christ. We should remind ourselves of what we were rescued from and cry out in gratefulness. We should be agonized over our sin and the break in fellowship it creates between our God and us. Confessing our sins should be a regular thing we do so we can draw closer and closer to Christ. God choose this way of salvation to show you how much He loves you. Accept His love. Ask Him and let Him love you on a daily basis. Preach the gospel to yourself often. And then realize the truth of who you are in Christ and live it out!
The Holy Spirit
As the third part of the trinity, the Holy Spirit is often misrepresented, misunderstood, and abused. The Spirit of God resides inside of a person’s heart who has accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. It is He who cleanses us and leads us in the ways of Christ. It is He who does the work of Jesus in us. It is He who does the will of the Father. We are only a vessel in which we must be willing to be used by God.
Freedom in Christ
…is that Christ has set believers free from sin to live our lives for God in a way that is creative and unique to each individual. It is not for us to live a life of sin, abusing the gift of the grace of God.
Meditation
Biblical meditation is a practice of musing over the scriptures, who God is, and what He has done for us.
Convictions
When it comes to dress, bible versions, entertainment, etc. these must be according to each person as the Holy Spirit leads. We should not judge a person based on their convictions or beliefs unless they go against scripture. Condemnation is not for believers. Conviction is of the Holy Spirit, not of us.
Be Still and Run 