The real instructions
One of the things it took me the longest time to get over is the whole concept that God somehow keeps score of the things we do in life; good and bad. If the balance tips to the good side, we go to heaven. If not, well, even if it's only temporary, hell awaits. I think too we want to believe that because God is love that He wouldn't condemn us to hell for eternity. We want to think about God in the contexts of how we want God to be so we can justify what we do and don't. I don't think it's unfair to say those things because I used to live this way.
I told you I have a friend who claims not to be a believer. He had a lovely picture of his Christmas tree on his Facebook page, though. I see the irony in this. I see the irony in lots of things.
Anyway, I came across this little Facebook meme the other day. Here's how salvation doesn't work:
I wanted to , but didn't put the following in the comments section on Facebook:
16 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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. The Apostle John (John 3:16-19 NIV)
I didn't, as I said because I respect that not everyone that hears the Gospel will believe. I honestly think most people still subscribe to some form of the tally system of salvation or some variant of the above meme.
It doesnt' work that way.
It works this way:
And this you should absolutely try at home! (Or anywhere you are right at this minute!) I shared this so my friend who posted the first meme would see it. It's a stark contrast between the two philosophies. Both lived. Both impacted future generations. But only one had his birth foretold. Only one came to fulfill prophecy. Only one changed absolutely EVERYTHING. And only one of them came out of the grave. What you have to decide is which philosophy to believe. You have to decide if you believe the first and have to do it yourself or if you believe the One who claimed to be the Son of God, endured a brutal death, and came out of the grave three days later.
I told you I have a friend who claims not to be a believer. He had a lovely picture of his Christmas tree on his Facebook page, though. I see the irony in this. I see the irony in lots of things.
Anyway, I came across this little Facebook meme the other day. Here's how salvation doesn't work:
16 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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. The Apostle John (John 3:16-19 NIV)
I didn't, as I said because I respect that not everyone that hears the Gospel will believe. I honestly think most people still subscribe to some form of the tally system of salvation or some variant of the above meme.
It doesnt' work that way.
It works this way:
And this you should absolutely try at home! (Or anywhere you are right at this minute!) I shared this so my friend who posted the first meme would see it. It's a stark contrast between the two philosophies. Both lived. Both impacted future generations. But only one had his birth foretold. Only one came to fulfill prophecy. Only one changed absolutely EVERYTHING. And only one of them came out of the grave. What you have to decide is which philosophy to believe. You have to decide if you believe the first and have to do it yourself or if you believe the One who claimed to be the Son of God, endured a brutal death, and came out of the grave three days later.
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