I was on Bible Gateway today and their verse of the day is 1 Peter 1:13.
I wanted to share this verse in context with you because reading it has reminded me of a few things.
Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For,
“All people are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of the Lord endures forever.”
And this is the word that was preached to you.
1 Peter 1:13-25
During our visit with my family this Christmas, one of the conversations that I had with my dad was about salvation.
The question my dad posed to the group of us, was wether or not you are still saved if you walk away from God? If you don't live life the way we are called? If we are going to church but not doing anything else? If we only became christians for someone else or for fear of damnation?
Are we really followers of Christ if we dont live the way He called us to live?
Over and over Jesus called men to follow Him. He called the disciples and told them to follow Him, leave behind all that they had and follow.
Leave their old lives to follow. Leave their sin.
So, again I ask. If we don't change are we really following?
I don't have the answers. I know that I feel like I fall short. That I do not walk in the path I am supposed to. That I fall back into my old life, my sinful ways. And I know that someday I will stand and be judged for that.
I was raised by parents who led Sunday school and there was always four main things that they taught.
- All have sinned. (Romans 3:23)
-There is only one way to heaven. (John 14:6) ( John 3:16)
By His wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53)
- Its a free gift. (John 1:12)
- Say thank you. (Luke 15:7) (this was normally a day for partying and was always the best)
Dad would always use a great visual example for the kids about how there is only one way to heaven. He would set a chair on one side of the stage and one at the opposite side. He would place a child on the one chair and then say, "okay, get to the other chair."
The child would then attempt to jump with all of their might to reach the other chair.
Of course it was impossible.
So he would ask for another volunteer and allow them to attempt to jump from one side to the other. Again they would fail.
Then he would put a small child on the chair and tell them to ask for help from one of the other adult helpers. The adult would then carry the child from one chair to the other.
Our sin is the gap between us and God. We have sinned, and continue to do so, so we cannot reach God. So Jesus bridges the gap. We cannot, by our own strength, goodness, wealth, or otherwise, get to heaven on our own. He is the only way that we can reach heaven.
During our visit with my family this Christmas, one of the conversations that I had with my dad was about salvation.
The question my dad posed to the group of us, was wether or not you are still saved if you walk away from God? If you don't live life the way we are called? If we are going to church but not doing anything else? If we only became christians for someone else or for fear of damnation?
Are we really followers of Christ if we dont live the way He called us to live?
Over and over Jesus called men to follow Him. He called the disciples and told them to follow Him, leave behind all that they had and follow.
Leave their old lives to follow. Leave their sin.
So, again I ask. If we don't change are we really following?
I don't have the answers. I know that I feel like I fall short. That I do not walk in the path I am supposed to. That I fall back into my old life, my sinful ways. And I know that someday I will stand and be judged for that.
I was raised by parents who led Sunday school and there was always four main things that they taught.
- All have sinned. (Romans 3:23)
-There is only one way to heaven. (John 14:6) ( John 3:16)
By His wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53)
- Its a free gift. (John 1:12)
- Say thank you. (Luke 15:7) (this was normally a day for partying and was always the best)
Dad would always use a great visual example for the kids about how there is only one way to heaven. He would set a chair on one side of the stage and one at the opposite side. He would place a child on the one chair and then say, "okay, get to the other chair."
The child would then attempt to jump with all of their might to reach the other chair.
Of course it was impossible.
So he would ask for another volunteer and allow them to attempt to jump from one side to the other. Again they would fail.
Then he would put a small child on the chair and tell them to ask for help from one of the other adult helpers. The adult would then carry the child from one chair to the other.
Our sin is the gap between us and God. We have sinned, and continue to do so, so we cannot reach God. So Jesus bridges the gap. We cannot, by our own strength, goodness, wealth, or otherwise, get to heaven on our own. He is the only way that we can reach heaven.
One of the other things that my dad has told me many times in my life is that there is nothing we can do to make God love us more or less.
Its impossible. He loves us more than we can ever fathom. He created us for him to love.
We were the ones that screwed it up and we still do.
And yet He still loves us. He loved us enough to send His son to die for us and He stands at the door and knocks, waiting, hoping that we will answer and let him in.
All that to say that, I guess, what I believe, is that God's love will never go away.
If we turn our backs, He will keep knocking.
If we continue to sin, He will keep loving. (and calling us to follow Him)
If we don't have a deep personal relationship with Him, He will keep pursuing.
I think that if we receive Him and believe in Him, then we are called the children of God. We may be screw ups and we may fall short, but that doesn't mean He loves us any less, it just means that we will have a lot of "splanen to do" when we get to judgement day.
Like the child on the chair illustration! Well written. Also enjoyed your 14 ideas for at home dates. Keep on rocking the Blog, Anita!
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