simon.weston

God Does Not Like Sin
 

“The life of every person belongs to me, the life of the parent as well as that of the child. The person who sins is the one who will die.

Suppose there is a truly good man, righteous and honest. He doesn’t worship the idols of the Israelites or eat the sacrifices offered at forbidden shrines. He doesn’t seduce another man’s wife or have intercourse with a woman during her period. He doesn’t cheat or rob anyone. He returns what a borrower gives him as security; he feeds the hungry and gives clothing to the naked. He doesn’t lend money for profit. He refuses to do evil and gives an honest decision in any dispute. Such a man obeys my commands and carefully keeps my laws. He is righteous, and he will live, says the Sovereign Lord.
 

Then suppose this man has a son who robs and kills, who does any of these things that the father never did. He eats sacrifices offered at forbidden shrines and seduces other men’s wives. He cheats the poor, he robs, he keeps what a borrower gives him as security. He goes to pagan shrines, worships disgusting idols, and lends money for profit. Will he live? No, he will not. He has done all these disgusting things, and so he will die. He will be to blame for his own death.

Now suppose this second man has a son. He sees all the sins his father practised, but does not follow his example. He doesn’t worship the idols of the Israelites or eat the sacrifices offered at forbidden shrines. He doesn’t seduce another man’s wife or oppress anyone or rob anyone. He returns what a borrower gives him as security. He feeds the hungry and gives clothing to the naked. He refuses to do evil and doesn’t lend money for profit. He keeps my laws and obeys my commands. He will not die because of his father’s sins, but he will certainly live. His father, on the other hand, cheated and robbed, and always did evil to everyone. And so he died because of the sins he himself had committed.

But you ask: Why shouldn’t the son suffer because of his father’s sins? The answer is that the son did what was right and good. He kept my laws and followed them carefully, and so he will certainly live. It is the one who sins who will die. A son is not to suffer because of his father’s sins, nor a father because of the sins of his son. A good man will be rewarded for doing good, and an evil man will suffer for the evil he does.

If an evil man stops sinning and keeps my laws, if he does what is right and good, he will not die; he will certainly live. All his sins will be forgiven, and he will live, because he did what is right. Do you think I enjoy seeing an evil man die? Asks the Sovereign Lord, No, I would rather see him repent and live. But if a righteous man stops doing good and starts doing all the evil, disgusting things that evil men do, will he go on living? No! None of the good he did will be remembered. He will die because of his unfaithfulness and his sins.

Now I, the Sovereign Lord, am telling you Israelites that I will judge each of you by what he has done. Turn away from all the evil you are doing, and don’t let your sin destroy you. Give up all the evil you have been doing, and get yourselves new minds and hearts. Why do you Israelites want to die? I do not want anyone to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn away from your sins and live.” (Ezekiel 18 v 4-32) 

 

Be careful about what you allow to form your opinions. The Bible is the only standard of truth. Therefore evaluate all other opinions in light of its teachings and do what is right.

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."(1st Peter 3v1)

"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." (Romans 1v16)

Amidst the Easter festivities, millions of Christians around the world celebrate the hope of new life in Jesus. As we remember the incredible Passover/Easter story, we that belong to the body of Christ celebrate the triumph of life over death.

 Unfortunately it is becoming increasingly difficult to speak out about this hope that we have. Today our faith is continues to be challenged and marginalized in society.

The National Secular Society is continuing to many thousands of people to sign a certificate to “debaptise” themselves. It is part of a campaign to allow people to revoke their baptisms. Therefore we are asking requesting born again Christians worldwide to publicly stand up and declare their faith in these last days.

Following this momentous event we can truly celebrate the victory and hope which Jesus Christ has given to every believer. Now is the time to declare that the Easter story is true. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Church leader, Steve Chalke said:

“Jesus told us not to hide our light under a basket, and it's true we should not be ashamed of Jesus and all that he has done for us. That's why I am joining to publicly declare my Christian faith.”

Hugh Osgood also endorses the move to declare your faith in Jesus Christ when it’s increasingly difficult to speak out about being a Christian.

“Every individual church member should support the ‘I am a Christian’ campaign. God saved us individually and each one of us counts. We all need to speak up and acknowledge what God has done.”

Realizing how to become a Christian is the most important discovery of your life! Becoming a Christian is more than joining a church or saying a prayer. It is a personal relationship that will last for eternity. Do you know what will happen to you the moment you die? Where will you find yourself? Where is your destination?

There are only two destinations - and both are eternal: You will either find yourself living for eternity in heaven or existing for eternity in hell. Where will you be?

• Eternity in heaven - This destination is reserved for those who receive Jesus Christ's gift of eternal salvation. Contrary to popular belief, heaven is not for the church-goers, the devout, or the "good people." The only stipulation is receiving God's gift of salvation.
• Eternity in hell is reserved for those who reject Jesus Christ and His Gospel. The Bible sums up the Gospel like this: : ". . .That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Hell is described in the Bible as a furnace of fire.

Studying the Facts

The Bible explains how to become a Christian in very simple terms:

• Realize that everyone has sinned and cannot live up to God's standard of holiness. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3 v 23)
• Understand that the penalty for our sin is death. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6 v23)
• Accept God's gift. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place, so we could be spared from hell. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5 v 8)
• According to the Bible, we aren't required to subscribe to a religious formula or do more good things than bad ones. God gives His gift freely to all who ask. "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13).

Once you discover how to become a Christian and then accept God's gift, the Bible says that you can be 100 percent assured of your eternal designation.

 "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 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 v 11-13)

Do you know for sure that you will spend eternal life with God in heaven? If not, this is a decision you don't want to put off.

Become A Christian Today

How do I become a Christian? Once you have asked all your questions, weighed all the evidence, and tested all the arguments, you will ultimately be confronted with the basic question Jesus asked his own disciples in Matthew 16:15:

‘But who do you say that I am?’

Simon Peter replied:

‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’

What is your reply?

If you have come to the same conclusion as Simon Peter, you are a few steps away from having a personal relationship with our loving God. It is my sincere hope and prayer that each of you reach this conclusion, for I know that true happiness, joy and peace only come when we recognize our purpose for existing and yield our wills to our Creator. As you will see, Christianity is not based on a religious building, formula or ritual, it’s a matter of what you truly believe in your heart.

Step Through The Bible

First, you can be sure that God loves you unconditionally and desires to have a personal relationship with you.

“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).

Second, you need to admit your sinful nature to God, because this is what separates all of us from Him.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23).

Third, you should stop trying to please God through your own efforts, and realize that salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ is a gift that none of us deserves.

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

Finally, you just need to step in and truly accept God’s gift -- His Son, Jesus Christ.

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

So, now you know the basic steps to become a Christian. As a result, if you desire God’s gift of eternal life and fellowship with Him, you are as close as a sincere act of faith.

Jesus says,

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6).

Jesus also says,

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20).

Receiving Jesus is a matter of truly asking Him to come into your life, to forgive your sins, and to become your Lord and Saviour. It’s not merely an intellectual undertaking, but rather, an act of sincere faith and heart-felt will.

If you want to receive Jesus now, and accept His gift of salvation, it's a matter of believing in Jesus Christ, repenting of your sins, and turning the rest of your life over to Him. This is not a ritual based on specific words, but rather, a prayerful guideline for your sincere step of faith.

“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey you, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”

"Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38)

If you decided to become a Christian today, welcome to God's family. Now, as a way to grow closer to Him, the Bible tells us to follow up on our commitment.

• Get baptized as commanded by Christ.
• Tell someone else about your new faith in Christ.
• Spend time with God each day. It does not have to be a long period of time. Just develop the daily habit of praying to Him and reading His Word. Ask God to increase your faith and your understanding of the Bible.
• Seek fellowship with other Christians. Develop a group of Christian friends to answer your questions and support you.
• Find a local church where you can worship God.