Why? Why me? Why my family? Why do people suffer and what does it mean?
These questions are asked by Christians and non-Christians alike. No one is immune to suffering and adversity in life. Job 5:7 (in the Bible) says, Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward. Some suffer for what they have done; others suffer because of what people do to them. Many suffer because they are victims of circumstances which they cannot control, such as natural disasters.
Whatever the cause of suffering, it is important that you not focus too long on the suffering or loss, but begin to see if there is something you can learn from it and plan for the future. For example, in the case of a natural disaster, such as caused by Hurricane Katrina, you cannot cause it not to have happened. You still have a life to live.
Suffering and calamities in life do provide a time for re-evaluating what is important in life. It is a time to re-order priorities. Some of the victims of the hurricane which devastated the gulf coast of the United States have actually stated that the loss of everything they owned was a blessing. It was a blessing because they now know what is important in life -- not things,but family, loved ones and a life lived under the direction of God. It gave the opportunity for some who were bogged down in a boring life and perhaps working at a dead-end job they didn't like, to take a new look at the future and get a new start toward a meaningful life. They were ready to start putting the building blocks of their lives together in a more productive and meaningful way.
Nowhere does the Bible teach that Christians are exempt from the trials and natural disasters that occur in the world. If everything always went smoothly, with no suffering and no severe testing, people would not see their need for God. They would begin to think they were in control of their lives and all the world events.
Sometimes, in the midst of adversity, we see people indulge themselves by wallowing in self-pity and bitterness, and perhaps taking delight in blaming God for their problems. Job's attitude is an inspiration: In Job 13:15, he said Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him. The sufferer will be blessed if, in the midst of great agony and despair, he/she can look into the face of the Heavenly Father and, because of God's eternal love and presence, be grateful. Our response to suffering should lead us to look beyond it in the attempt to see God's higher purposes and what He wants to teach us.
Patricia St. John, who has been described as an ordinary woman with an extraordinary faith, poured out her life ministering to people in the neediest places on our planet. She was in Sudan when war refugees flooded that country. They had suffered terribly and had lost everything, yet those among them who were Christians still gave thanks to God.
Patricia said that she stood one night in a crowded little Sudanese church listening to those uprooted believers singing joyfully. Suddenly a life-changing insight burned its way into her mind. "We would have changed their circumstances," she said, "but we would not have changed them." She realized that God does not always lift people out of the situation. He Himself comes into the situation. He does not pluck them out of the darkness. He becomes the light in the darkness. -- Our Daily Bread, August 19, 1997
Suffering gets our attention. It often forces us to look to God when otherwise we might just ignored Him.
I don't know why God allows suffering, but I do know that He is a God of love. He loves us so much that He has made available to us a home where there is no suffering, no pain, no crying. In fact He is inviting us into His home -- for all eternity!
In John 14:1-2 (in the Bible), Jesus, God's Son, said to His followers, Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, Trust also in me. In my father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. Not long after that, Jesus gave himself on the cross to die as a sacrifice for your sins and mine. He was buried and on the third day He rose from the grave, alive. He was on this earth for another 40 days and people could see that He has power over the grave. At the end of the 40 days, Jesus ascended into heaven, in full view of the people gathered.
How do you go to The Father's house? As Jesus said, trust in God, trust also in His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus also said, in John 14:6 I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. The prophets, hundreds of years before Jesus took on the human form to live among us, foretold His coming and almost every detail about His life, including how he would die for our sins and His resurrection from the grave.
Life without Jesus Christ in charge, is meaningless and to die without Christ is tragic. Death can catch anyone unexpectedly. Jesus Christ can put meaning into your life and assure you of an eternal home with Him.
You are more than your physical body. You have a soul. The body will die but you will continue to exist forever. The Bible points out that when you die, you will go to one of two places, heaven or hell. There is no middle place such as purgatory. The Bible is clear about this. Hell is pictured as a burning fire that does not end. Heaven is a place without pain or sorrow -- and you will be with the Father. There is no suffering there. In fact you will be given a new spiritual body and we will be able to recognize one another.
If you trust Jesus Christ as your Savior, you will not only go to heaven when you die, but He makes the abundant life available to you -- a life with meaning and purpose. You can walk and talk with God each day. His message to you in the Bible will help you to know His purpose for your life. His Holy Spirit will guide you and will help you to understand the Bible.
Now is the best time to trust Jesus Christ, God's Son, as your Savior, if you haven't already done so. Putting it off decreases your chance of ever doing so.
Here is how: 1. Repent of your sins. Repentance is turning from your sin to God. It involves a sorrow for your sins and confessing them to God, asking Him to forgive you. The Bible tells us that we all are sinners. Romans 3:23 says, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 6:23 also says, For the wages of sin is death (speaking of death in hell) but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Most of us don't have to look back very far to see where we have sinned. Even an indifference to God is sin. Outright opposition to God at least recognizes His existence, but indifference to Him seems to be a much greater sin because that ignores Him, as though He doesn't exist. 2. Trust Jesus Christ as your Savior. This is tied to repentance. It involves first, recognizing that Jesus Christ is God's Son who took on human form, lived a perfect, sinless life on earth, offered himself as a sacrifice for your sin and rose from the grave in victory over death. In addition you must trust Him with your life. He becomes the Master of your life. You will live to please Him.
You can repent and trust Jesus Christ as your Savior & Lord by talking to God. We call that prayer. God will hear you anywhere. Just tell Him that you know you are a sinner. Ask Him to forgive you. Ask Jesus to come into your life and save you. Tell God that you are committing your life to Him, to live for Him. If you really mean that, He will save you. His Holy Spirit will come to live within you and guide you in the right way.
It is important to know that this salvation we have talked about is not earned by your good deeds. It is a free gift from God, based on the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, and your accepting that gift by repenting and trusting Him.
Once you have received God's gift of salvation, you can never lose it. Sure, there will be times when you disobey God, but that will not be your lifestyle. You will want to please God. His forgiveness covers those sins too.
After making this decision, you should be baptized in the same way that Jesus was baptized, by immersion in water. Try to find a Church that believes what I have stated above. Talk to the pastor and let him know of your decision and ask to be baptized. Being dipped into the water is a symbol of Christ's death & burial. Being raised from the water symbolized Christ's resurrection from the grave. Baptism also represents our death to the old life and resurrection to walk in the new life Christ offers. It also symbolizes our eventual death of the body & resurrection to live in heaven with God forever. Baptism does not help save you but it is a step in obedience, because Jesus commanded His followers to do so. Trust (author unknown)
Until I learned to trust,
I did not learn to pray,
And I did not learn to fully trust
Till sorrows came my way.
Until I felt my weakness,
His strength I never knew,
Nor dreamed till I was stricken
That He would see me through.
Who deepest drinks of sorrow
Drinks deepest too of grace,
He sends the storm so He himself,
Can be our hiding place.
His heart that seeks our highest good
Knows well when things annoy,
We would not yearn for heaven
If earth held only joy.
If you need help in making this life-changing decision, please let me know. You can use the E-mail page or click on
Take care.
Roger Staubach who led the Dallas Cowboys (professional American football team) to the World Championship in 1971 admitted that his position as a quarterback who didn't call his own signals was a source of trial for him. Coach Landry sent in every play. He told Roger when to pass, when to run and only in emergency situations could he change the play (and he had better be right!). Even though Roger considered coach Landry to have a "genius mind" when it came to football strategy, pride said that he should be able to run his own team.
Roger later said, "I faced up to the issue of obedience. Once I learned to obey there was harmony, fulfillment, and victory."
He faithfully followed the orders or commands of coach Landry and was rewarded for it.
Jesus gave us two commandments to live by. We also will be rewarded by following them.
One day a lawyer who was adept at cross-examination with regard to the Jewish law tried to trick Jesus by asking him, "Master, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" (Matthew 22:35).
Let's look at the first part of Jesus' answer: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment (verses 37-38) The commandment that Jesus uttered was a direct quote of Deuteronomy 6:5 (in the Bible).
Jesus may have surprised the lawyers that he was able to so quickly discern the greatness of this law and quote it exactly. This law that God gave encompasses all that is contained in the first 4 of the Ten Commandments that God gave through Moses. The 1st 4 of the Ten Commandments deal with our relationship with God.
Jesus said to love the Lord your God with all your heart & soul & mind.. It is a commitment of your total self. It is being controlled by Jesus' love. Your attitude, actions & decisions are to be guided by Him.
This is the first & greatest commandment for it recognizes the pre-eminence of God. Our first allegiance must be to our Creator. The 1st 4 commandments of the Ten Commandments spell out some things that would be characteristic of those committed to this great commandment.
Basically, here is what the 1st 4 of the Ten Commandments say: After God reminded us that He is the Lord our God, He said, You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol.
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy.
If you keep the great commandment that Jesus related, you will naturally be keeping the four just mentioned.
Is the great commandment, of which Jesus spoke, actively at work within you?
Next, Jesus said, And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus quoted directly from Leviticus 19:18. The question posed to Jesus was in the singular -- Which is the greatest commandment in the Law? If Jesus had answered with only one of these, the lawyer might have accused Him of partiality of the Law & tried to draw him into a debate.
If you really love your neighbor as yourself, none of the last 6 of the Ten Commandments will be violated. Those commandments spell out some things that a person keeping the 2nd of Jesus' great commandments will obey. Here is the list: Honor your father and your mother.
You shall not murder.These last 6 of the Ten Commandments all deal with our relationships with one another.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
You shall not covet (not want what someone else has).
Who is your neighbor? It is not just the person next door. Jesus said it is the person you can be neighbor to. On one occasion, to illustrate this, He gave the example of a Jewish man who had been beaten up & robbed and left beside the road to die. Some people just walked past him & didn't stop to give aid. But a Samaritan man stopped to help. The Jews & Samaritans didn't get along well together. But this Samaritan stopped, put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn or hotel. He stayed with the man & cared for him through the night, paid the bill & said if there were other expenses in nursing the man back to health, he would pay it all. Who can you be a neighbor to?
Do you know what love means? A good definition for love that I have settled on is "a genuine caring concern." Love for self is a genuine caring concern for self. Taken too far that becomes excessive, self-centered pride. Love for others is a genuine caring concern for them.
Sometimes we confuse relationships with love. I love my wife and my children and other people, but because the relationships are different, the love is expressed in different ways. Also, my love is stronger for some people than for others. But we should have a genuine caring concern for all people.
Are there people you just cannot, or hardly, tolerate? Then you have something to work on within yourself. Instead of looking at the other person's faults, look within yourself. Instead of trying to change them, work on your attitude toward them. Perhaps if you knew their past experiences and/or their present situation you could better understand their attitude & actions. God loves them too. Because of this, you should love them.
What do you do for the ones you love? The interest of those you love is to be placed on the same level as your own interest. You may even place their interest above your own. Remember the saying, "God first, others second & self third"? That is a good motto to live by.
A little girl was sent on an errand by her mother. She took much too long in coming back. The mother, therefore, demanded an explanation when she finally did return. The little girl explained that on her way she had met a little friend who was crying because she had broken her doll. "Oh," said the mother, "then you stopped to help her fix her doll?" "Oh, no," replied the little girl. "I stopped to help her cry." The story is probably apocryphal but illustrates the point.
Sometimes all you can do for a person to be with him/her and let the person know you care. At other times you can meet a need by sharing some of your possessions or labor or time with them. Be a genuine friend.
Speaking of friends, Jesus is a friend who is dependable. He cares about you more than does anyone else in the whole world. He wants what is best for you. That is why he came to earth. He lived a sinless life and then sacrificed Himself on the cross for you. He rose from the grave in victory over death, showing that you too can have victory over death. The way to eternal life is through Jesus Christ who is God the Son (fully God & fully man)
He is ready & willing to give you that life. But you must accept it if you are to receive it. Here's how:
(1) Repent of your sins. According to the Bible every person other than Jesus Christ has sinned. Most of us don't have to look back very far to see that we have done wrong. Those wrongs are sins against God. To repent means that, in sorrow for your sins, you turn from them to God.
(2) Trust Jesus Christ as your Savior & Lord.
You cannot be good enough to earn your way to heaven. One sin is enough to disqualify you. However God loves you so much that He made a way for you to have a right standing before Him and qualify for eternal life with Him. Eternal life is not based on what you do but on what Jesus Christ God's Son has done. He came to earth in human form and lived a sinless life. Having done so, he was qualified to offer Himself as a sacrifice for your sins. He was crucified on a cross, taking your sins on Himself.
Jesus rose from the grave on the third day, as He had predicted, and taught His disciples for another 40 days before ascending into heaven. Over 500 people saw him at one time.
Jesus' taking your sins on Himself gives you the opportunity to receive His righteousness as a free gift, provided by His mercy & grace. You receive this righteousness by believing what He has done and committing your life to serve Him. You will still fail sometimes and sin, but his sacrifice covers those sins too. Your desire will be to serve Him. You can walk & talk with Him each day. In the Bible you can learn more about Him and His will for your life. I suggest that you start by reading the Gospel of John (in the New Testament).
After you make this commitment you should be baptized, like Jesus was baptized, by immersion as he commanded. Baptism does not save you but after you are saved (trusting Christ as Savior) you should be baptized. Being dipped into the water symbolized Jesus death for your salvation and your death to the old life. Being raised up out of the water symbolizes Jesus resurrection from the grave and your "resurrection" to walk in the new life Christ has given you. Baptism also symbolizes your eventual physical death and resurrection to live with God eternally in heaven.
You will want to become a part of a local church congregation that believes what I have just presented. Talk to a pastor about it.
If you need more information or help in making this life-changing decision, please let me know. You can use the E-mail page or click on
Take care.
What does an Olympic athlete do after winning it all? Here's the story of a multiple gold medalist -- Pat McCormick. She was born on May 12, 1930 in Seal Beach, California. Pat married in 1949 but continued her diving career as Pat McCormick.
At the Helsinki, Finland Olympic Games in July 1952, Pat McCormick of Los Angeles, California won a gold medal on the 3-meter Springboard Diving event. Then she took the gold in the 10-meter Platform Diving. In the very next Olympics (1956 in Melbourne, Australia) Pat McCormick again won the gold metals for the Springboard and Platform Diving events. She is the only woman in Olympic history to achieve what is called a "double-double" (two gold medals in the same events for two consecutive Olympic Games.)
Pat has received many awards and honors. These include, among others, Sports Illustrated magazine's "Athlete of the Year" and "Woman of the Year", the Associated Press and United Press International's recipient of the Sullivan Award as "Amateur Athlete of the Year," Babe Zaharia's "Woman Athlete of the Year;" Helm's Hall "North American Athlete of the Year;" AAU's Sullivan Award and member of the Olympic Hall of Fame.
What next -- after this kind of a diving career? It seems that Pat McCormick had it all. What more could she want or accomplish? Pat's fame afforded her many opportunities and she used that fame to give back to her community.
Pat is involved with many charities and is well-known for her work among disadvantaged youth. Eventually, she began speaking in schools. A teacher at Woodling Elementary school in California informed her that over 100 of the children there were high-risk students, and she asked for Pat's help. Pat began scheduling meetings with these kids twice each month.
Pat McCormick is the founder of "Pat's Champs", a work involving children labeled "high risk" by educators. The majority of these kids come from broken homes. Many of the parents have substance abuse problems. Pat helps these kids out of their dead-end existence. She said, "I tell them, 'You have to have a dream. You have to work. You have to fail. You have to surround yourself with greatness.'" Those kids grades began to move from F's, to D's, to C's to B's to A's. Many of her students are real college material.
Pat made a commitment to her students that if they stayed in school and made good grades, she would see that they were able to attend college and trade school. Much of Pat's own funds had been invested in field trips and paying for the buses for other activities, so she established a nonprofit foundation to assist those students needing finances for college.
That's good news. I have additional good news that can benefit everyone, including you. But first the bad news. It also includes everyone, including you and me.
God created us human beings as the crowning act of His creative work. He made us in His image. We can think, reason and invent. Do you know of any animal that can build skyscrapers or calculate the actions of God's dependable laws of nature and send a man to the moon or dock a space station in orbit? God also made each human being a living soul who has the ability to communicate with Him.
Here's the bad news. Every one of us has let God down. We have ignored God's purpose for our lives and gone our own direction. This has prevented us from a relationship and fellowship with God.
Look at these quotes from the Bible: Isaiah 53:6 tells us that "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way ..." Romans 3:10 informs us that "There is no one righteous, not even one." Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." If you have ever broken one of God's laws, you have sinned.
Thousands of years ago, God, who created the heavens and the earth and everything in them, spoke to His people and said, "I am the Lord your God." He then gave ten basic commandments (laws). Here they are in a nutshell, taken from the Bible's book of Exodus, chapter 20: (1) "You shall have no other gods before me." (2) "You shall not make for yourselves an idol." (3) "You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God." (4) "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy." (5) "Honor your father and your mother."
(6) "You shall not murder." (7) "You shall not commit adultery." (8) "You shall not steal." (9) "You shall not give false testimony." (10) "You shall not covet" (not want what someone else has).
Have you ever, even once, in your life violated one of these laws God gave to us? You have sinned. Have you ever done something though you knew it was wrong? You have sinned. That includes all of us. God's faithful apostle wrote in Romans 7:7, "I would not have known what sin was except through the law." In the fifth verse, he said, "When we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death."
The Bible tells us that even one sin is enough to keep us out of heaven. Heaven is a holy place and sin cannot enter it. Let's see what the Bible tells us about this. In Romans 5:16, are these words, "The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation." The greatest of all sins is to refuse to turn the control of your life over to Jesus Christ, God's Son. We will look at the reason for this a little later in this discussion.
Being judged "guilty" by God leads to eternal condemnation and exclusion from heaven when you die. Jesus Christ himself gave us a glimpse of what that would be like. In Luke 16 He told the story of a man who went to hell. In verse 23, He speaks of him being "in hell where there was torment." Then in verse 24 the man calls for someone to "dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire."
But there is good news! This doesn't have to happen to you. God loves you and wants you to spend eternity with Him. He also wants you and Him to enjoy one another's fellowship while you are here on earth. He established a way that your sins can be wiped away, once and for all time.
God sent His Son Jesus the Christ, or Messiah, that He promised through His prophets for hundreds of years previously. Jesus came as a human baby, born of a virgin, by the name of Mary. Jesus was planted in her womb by Gods Holy Spirit. God's angels announced this to Mary and also to Joseph who would become her husband. He also revealed to the prophets of old that this would be the way it would happen. The prophets had even been told that Jesus' birth would take place in the town of Bethlehem. We especially celebrate this event at Christmas time each year. This gift of God shows His love for us.
Jesus was fully human and fully God. As a human, he identified with us. He was tempted in every way just as you and I are tempted. But He never sinned -- not even once. As He never sinned, He qualified to offer Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. He came for the purpose of dieing -- for you and me. But for the sacrifice to cover your sins, you must accept that sacrifice. In a moment I will tell you how to do that. Jesus offered Himself on the cross as our sacrifice. He was buried, but on the third day he came back alive. He appeared to people here on earth for forty more days before he ascended into heaven. He paved the way. The Holy Spirit that raised Him from the Grave will also raise those who trust Him when this life is over.
Here is what the Bible says about Jesus' sacrifice. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "God made him who had no sin, to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Jesus took our sins on Himself and gave His righteousness to all who trust Him. When we have been clothed in His righteousness, we can stand before God as righteous -- not ours but His. It is God's free gift.
There is nothing you can do to earn this salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9, speaking to believers, says, "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast." God gives you eternal life and establishes a relationship with you the moment you trust Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. At that moment His Holy Spirit comes to live in you. He will never leave you and you will never lose your salvation.
Here is what Jesus, God's Son said. It is recorded in John
3:16-18. "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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already."
In the Greek language (in which these verses were written), the word for the English word "in," as "believes in Him," is a word that means "into," not the word that means "believe about." It includes believing about, but goes further. You can believe certain things about a chair and so believe it will hold your weight. You haven't believed into it until you have sat in it, trusting it with your weight. You must trust Christ with your life to receive His gift of salvation.
Here is how to receive Christ's salvation. First, you must accept the fact that you have sinned and, turning to God in sorrow, confess these sins to God. This is called repentance. Having done that, you are ready to ask Jesus to come into your life and take charge of it. Commit yourself to live your life to please Him.
Here is what 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." In Luke 18:13 Jesus tells about a repentant, confessing tax collector, "He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God have mercy on me, a sinner.'" Jesus said this man went home justified before God. He said the person who exalts himself will be humbled and the person who humbles himself will be exalted.
Praying is talking with God. God is everywhere and He can hear you. He even knows your thoughts and the intent of your heart. Being saved means to establish a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and receive eternal life. Christ becomes your Lord and Savior.
To ask Jesus to take charge of your life and save you, you can word the prayer yourself or you can pray using these words, as long as you truly mean them: Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. I have done evil in your sight. I am sorry for my sins. I now turn away from them and to you. Please let Jesus come into my life and take charge of it. Please save me. I want to serve you here and live with you eternally. Let your Holy Spirit indwell me and guide me along the way. Thank you Dear Heavenly Father. Thank you Jesus. Amen.
If you meant those words and are putting Jesus Christ on the throne of your life, instead of self. You are now saved and a child of God.
Next, you should be baptized. Baptism does not save you, but it is a step of obedience. Jesus instructed His followers to be baptized. This must be by immersion in water. That's the way Jesus was baptized. It pictures His death burial and resurrection. It also is a public testimony to the fact you have died to your old way of life and have risen to walk in the new life He gives you. Find a church pastor or Missionary who baptizes this way. If there is a Baptist church or missionary available, I recommend you make a contact there.
You need to be a part of a Christian congregation. There you will receive encouragement and grow in your relationship with the Lord.
I might mention, in case of confusion, Jesus, the Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit are all one God. He is expressed in these three ways. The Holy Spirit is sometimes referred to as the Spirit of Christ or God's Spirit and perhaps some other variations, but these terms refer to the same Holy Spirit. If you received Christ as Savior, His Holy Spirit now lives in you and He will never leave you. He will help you to know right from wrong and urge you to do the right.
The Holy Spirit will also help you to understand the Bible as you read it. I encourage you to at least daily read from the Bible and pray to God. Your prayer should include praise to God and thanks for His blessings. You may also ask for His guidance and help through difficult situations. You can even share your joys with Him. He will enjoy that.
I suggest you begin your study on the Bible in the Book of Romans, or on of the first four books of the New Testament, such as Luke. If you cannot find a Bible anywhere, let me know.
If I can be of help with your decision or to help you with understanding some of the things we have talked about, go to the E-mail page of this web site and write me.
Take Care,
Don
There are many ideas about God floating around today. A man once said to me, "I believe there was a god to get things started, but there is no
longer a need for a god and I don't believe he exists anymore." I remember another person saying, "There is a god all right, but he is not a god of love or there would not be so much suffering. He is a harsh judge."
Others see the love and mercy of God but not the justness of God requiring responsibility and accounting and they say, "All will be well in the end. A loving God will not send anyone to hell." All of these are faulty views of God. Some people believe God has no right to make demands on their lives. Others correctly recognize Him as having complete authority.
We must accept God as the Scriptures present Him. Otherwise he is just a god we make up in our minds. There is only one God and He exists in three persons who are equal and eternal. Each is worthy of equal praise and worship. The three persons or expressions of God are distinct, yet they work in perfect unity. They consist of the one true God of the Bible.
How can there be three Persons who are one God? Let me illustrate it like
this: Deep Creek Lake in Maryland has a number of coves or extensions. Each one of these extensions has a name and special characteristics that identify them. One cove is named Marsh Run Cove. Another cove is Green Glade Cove and another is Hidden Cove. However, they are all a part of one body of water called Deep Creek Lake. Let's say the name of the lake is God. One cove is named Father, another named Son and another named Holy Spirit. Each has its own characteristics lending to special uses, but all are a part of Lake God.
The above may be a crude explanation but God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are all one God. God's purpose has been redemptive from the beginning. In order that mankind might understand and know God in a personal way, He has expressed Himself in three ways. Each expression reveals to us a special characteristic of God.
Each of the above expressions of God is referred to in John 14:15-17, "If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever -- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him because He lives with you and will be in you."
Let's take a look at each of these persons of the Trinity individually.
God the Father
Jesus loved using the title "My Father." This is a title that lets every person understand a special characteristic of God. He is a loving Father. We adults look back to our childhood and remember our parents. We can see in God a caring, loving parent who will guide, provide for and protect His children.
Some people have harsh, unloving fathers, or have never known their fathers. In the Father in heaven they can find the Father they didn't have as a child but always wanted.
God knew when he created man that His creatures would turn against Him. Even then He realized the cost of bringing them back to Him -- but he went ahead anyway. He yearned and still yearns for the fellowship of His highest creation. God himself would have to come to earth as a man and live among His people and suffer to redeem them.
Today this God of heaven still cares. He knows your problems, sorrows and joys. He hurts with you and rejoices with you. But He demands responsibility. The first thing He requires is the recognition that He is God and the submission of your life to Him. Your life will never realize fulfillment unless this is true in your life.
God the Son
Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. Jesus the man was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. As man, he was completely man. As God, he was and is completely God. He never committed a sin. By taking upon Himself the nature and demands of a human being, He identified Himself completely with us -- yet without sin.
Throughout the history of Israel, the need for sacrifice had pointed out the seriousness of sin and the requirement of accountability. The perfect lamb without blemish that was required for their sacrifices pointed to the Son, the Lamb of God who was the only offering, perfect without sin, that would be sufficient for all the sins of the world -- and we are all sinners. But for the offering to be effective, the sinner must recognize God's offering on his/her behalf and repent and trust God with his/her life.
God loves everyone and gave us a choice, without giving up His demand for righteousness and accountability. Otherwise, we would die in our sin. We can continue in sin and suffer the consequences, or we can trust God's Son, Jesus Christ, and live forever.
The sacrifice Jesus made on the cross and His resurrection from the grave are essential for our salvation. In Jesus' earthly ministry he (1) taught us about God, including the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, (2) showed us how to live and (3) provided the means for our salvation.
I like Jesus' words in John 14:20, "On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you." Jesus also said about ones who follow Him that no one will be able to snatch us out of His Hand. He then said that no one will be able to snatch us out of the Father's hand. See this double layer of security? In the above verse, he also said that he would be in us. How? Through His Holy Spirit!
This brings us to a discussion of the Holy Spirit The description of the work of the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, is different than that of the Father, although the Father, Son and Holy Spirit work in unison.
The terms "Spirit of God," "Spirit of Jesus," "Holy Spirit," "Holy Ghost" and similar names for God's Spirit all relate to the same expression or personality of God. In John 14:16 He is referred to as "Counselor" and as the "Spirit of Truth."
Before the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, the Holy Spirit would come at special times for special purposes, but did not remain permanently with each follower of God. Chapter 2 of Acts (in the Bible) records the coming of the Holy Spirit. Beginning with that event, He came to stay. In John 7:38-39 Jesus said (before his crucifixion, resurrection and ascension), "'Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.' By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified."
In John 14:20 (appearing earlier), Jesus tells us that He will live in each believer. How does He do this? Through His Holy Spirit. When He speaks of sending another Counselor, he is speaking of the Holy Spirit. The Greek word for "another" in that verse means "another of the same kind" and the word for "Counselor" is also translated "Paraclete" and means "one called along side of." Just as Jesus was present to counsel His disciples when He was walking on this earth, He is also present with each one who knows Him, through the Holy Spirit.
What does the Holy Spirit do? We cannot begin to treat this adequately in this space. However following are a few of the things he does.
• He convicts us of sin and urges us to Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:10b (in the Bible) says, "God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth."
• If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, the Spirit assures you that you are a child of God. Romans 8:16 says, "The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children."
• He convicts you of sin when you go away from God's will for you. Jesus said in John 16:8, speaking of the Holy Spirit, "When He comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment."
• If you know Jesus as Savior, the Holy Spirit helps you understand the Scripture. Jesus said in John 14:26, "The Counselor, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." He will give us insight into what God is saying to us through His Scripture. Also in times of need, He will remind us of Scripture that we have previously read or heard, to give us strength and hope to help us through a difficult situation.
• The Spirit helps us see opportunities for service and gives us the courage to serve, perhaps to witness by verbal testimony or by a helping act.
The Holy Spirit convicts you of the need to develop your talents for God and serve in His church where you are needed.
There is much, much more of which the Holy Spirit convicts, urges, clarifies and counsels us, but I hope this has been of some help.
If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you do not benefit by the Spirit residing in you. However, He will convict you of sin and your need to turn to God. If He is speaking to you now, it is a dangerous thing to say, "No" to Him. He may not urge you again. You will never come to Jesus without the Holy Spirit prompting you.
You are given the opportunity for a decision. You can continue in your sin and suffer the consequences. That is an eternity in hell. On the other hand, you can accept the sacrifice that Jesus has made for you and let Him have charge of your life and live forever in a home in heaven. This choice of a lifetime is yours.
If you are ready to receive Jesus as your Savior, here is how:
First, you must recognize that you are a sinner. The Bible tells us that all of us have sinned and because of this we are headed for hell when we die. You don't have to look very far back to know that you are a sinner.
Second, you must repent of your sins. This involves remorse over your sins and a turning away from your self-directed sinful life and turning to God.
The third thing you need to do to receive God's salvation is to commit your life to God. You do this by accepting the sacrifice that Jesus paid for you and letting God take charge of your life. A prayer of commitment is a good way to facilitate this decision. If you are ready to do what I have listed above, you can tell God about it. You can word the prayer yourself. God is not interested that your sentences be structured right. He is interested in your mind and heart.
You might want to pray something like this: Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. I have tried to run my own life and have gone my own way. I am sorry for my sins. I now turn from them and turn to you. Please let Jesus come into my life. Take charge of my life and save me. I will live faithfully for you. Thank you Jesus for saving me and giving me eternal life. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
If you have truly made that commitment, you now know Jesus Christ as your Savior and the Holy Spirit now lives within you. The Heavenly Father is watching over you. That doesn't mean you will never sin or that bad things will not happen to you. If you are committed to serve the Lord, but you slip, you do not lose you salvation. Jesus assured us of that, but the Holy Spirit will prick your conscience and urge you back to God's way. You must desire to serve God.
There are bad things that happen to everyone. God does not promise you that you will not have problems, but now the Holy Spirit in you will give you courage and wisdom as you ask for it and will be with you to see you through those difficult times.
I urge you now to find a church that teaches the things we have talked about and be baptized like Jesus was baptized, by immersion into the water and raised from it. Jesus commanded that of us. The baptism does not save you but it is a testimony of you faith in Christ.
You should, as soon as possible, tell someone about your decision to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior. Get a Bible and start reading in the Gospel of John (in the New Testament).
If I can be of help in your making a decision for Christ or in your next steps after having made that decision, just go to the E-mail page and write me a note.
-- take care, Don
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