• 180-minute explanation – page 3 •
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WHAT DOES CHRIST'S RESURRECTION DO FOR ME?
Now I can live a new life!
If we have been united with him [Christ]... in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. ...Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Romans 6:5, 4
Now we can please God by how we live. The power of Christ's resurrection is operating in our lives. Christ's resurrection is the only reason that we can live in a new way.
[Now] the righteous requirements of the Law might be fully met in us, who…live…according to the [Holy] Spirit.
Romans 8:3-4
The Law’s "righteous requirements" (God's lofty standards) are different from a long list of the Law’s rules.
We can and must meet God’s "righteous requirements."
So pleasing God, which was impossible for us to do before, is actually possible now.
But this doesn't just happen automatically – or easily.
We must choose. And we must act.
But we aren't just trying hard on our own to obey a list of rules:
Remember, we weren't able to do that before!
But now we can actually please God by living "according to the Spirit."
How do we meet the Law’s “righteous requirements”?
So…we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.
Romans 7:6
Serving in the "old way of the written code" is trying to keep a list of do's and don'ts.
This is Option #1 – what we used to do when we tried hard in our own power to earn eternal life.
But now we daily meet God's "righteous requirements" by depending on God’s Holy Spirit who lives in us.
The Spirit gives us the ability and power to do what pleases God.
[Jesus said:] "If you love me, you will obey what I command you."
Now we obey God because we are motivated by love for Christ –
not by the desire to keep a list of rules.
We are no longer enslaved to and burdened by a rule-oriented sense of duty.
[You] work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Philippians 2:12-13
1. We work.
2. God works in us – by the power of his Holy Spirit.
This balance is very important.
It is not one or the other.
Notice the 2 things God does:
He helps us choose to do right.
He helps us actually do right.
What are the Law’s “righteous requirements"?
1. God's "righteous requirements" can be summed up by "Love:"
• Love God.
• Love others.
Jesus replied: “'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind [and with all your strength].' And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law...hang[s] on these two commandments."
Matthew 22:37-40
[Mark12:30]
2. The requirement is to be like Jesus Christ – that’s our end goal:
God…predestined [us] to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.
Romans 8:29
We know that when he [Jesus] appears [again], we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
I John 3:2
God is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy.
Jude 24
3. The requirement is to obey God:
[Jesus said:] If you love me you will obey what I command.
John 14:15
4. The requirement is perfection:
Be perfect…as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:48
Just as he [God] who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I [God] am holy."
I Peter 1:15
This sounds impossible!
It is impossible.
We can't do this on our own.
Then how do we meet the Law’s “righteous requirements”?
1. God starts the process by giving us Christ’s righteousness. He gives us what we do not have.
Christ Jesus…has become for us…our righteousness, [and] holiness.
I Corinthians 1:30
God will credit righteousness–for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
Romans 4:24
2. God empowers us – we live by the power of the Holy Spirit:
The righteous requirements of the Law might be fully met in us, who…live…according to the [Holy] Spirit.
Romans 8:3-4
3. God works – he works in us (until we see Jesus face to face):
I thank my God every time I remember you…being confident of this, that he [God] who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus [Christ’s return].
II Peter 1:5
God is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy.
Jude 24
4. It is a process – so it takes time:
[God] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ.
II Peter 1:5
Even Paul, a great follower of Jesus Christ, said late in his life:
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Philippians 3:12
5. We work:
As you have always obeyed…continue to work out your salvation.
Philippians 2:12
Make every effort to add to your faith...
II Peter 1:5
...add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure , they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
II Peter 1:5-8
Train yourself to be godly.
I Timothy 4:7
Paul also said:
.
One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14
We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
Hebrews 6:12
6. When we sin we confess it to God:
Because we are not yet perfect –
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
I John 1:8
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
I John 1:9
What a wonderful heart our Father in Heaven has for us! Christ died for our sins:
• So it would be unjust if God did not forgive us.
• So forgiveness is God's gift – we don't pay him back with actions.
• So God purifies us 100%.
7. God finishes it – when we see Christ:
[God] is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy.
Jude 24
We know that when he [Jesus] appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
I John 3:2-3
What else does Christ’s resurrection do for me?
Jesus said… , “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
John 11:25-26
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
Romans 8:11
The Lord himself will come down from heaven, …and the dead in Christ will rise.
I Thessalonians 4:16
He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
I John 5:1
WHAT MUST I DO TO RECEIVE CHRIST? TO HAVE MY SINS FORGIVEN? TO BECOME GOD'S CHILD?
He…asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved–you and your household.” …Then immediately he and all his family were baptized. …He was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God–he and his whole family.
Acts 16:31-34
Why is it Jesus Christ whom I must believe in?
Salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.
Acts 4:12
Who else has done for us what Jesus Christ did?
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."
John 3:36
In the entire universe there is no third alternative. Our only choice is: Jesus Christ – yes or no.
[Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself al things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Colossians 1:15-20
What specifically do we have to believe?
If you [1] confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and [2] believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
Romans 10:10-11
In general:
Believe in all that Jesus Christ is, and in everything that he has done and will do for you:
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
Specifically:
1. Believe that Jesus is the Son of God – he is 100% God:
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.
I John 4:15
[Jesus said:] I and the Father are one.
John 10:30
2. Believe God the Father:
[Jesus said:] Whoever hears my word and believes him [God the Father] who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
John 5:24
3. Believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins:
The Son of Man [Jesus Christ] must be lifted up [on the cross], that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
John 3:14-15
4. We must repent of our sins:
Now he [God] commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man [Jesus Christ] he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.
Acts 17:30-31
5. We declare that Jesus is Lord:
If you [#5] confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and [#6] believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
Romans 10:9-10
• You acknowledge that he is Lord of heaven and earth–of all things.
• You acknowledge that he is Lord of your life.
6. We believe that Christ’s resurrection from the dead truly happened – it is a historical fact, not just a made-up religious story.
If you...believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9
Why do we have to believe in Christ's resurrection?
If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
I Corinthians 15:17
This is a very logical statement. Your faith in Christ is pointless.
If Christ did not literally rise from the dead, how could he ever give you eternal life?
If Christ the Son of God was not raised, how could you, a mere human, be raised?
Can you get eternal life from a dead person? Or can you get eternal life from a god that has not conquered death? Can you get eternal life from an ancestor who is still in the grave?
And how can you get rid of your sins?
How can you live a new life if Christ is not living a new life?
Why is faith (or belief) so necessary?
It is by [God’s] grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by [your] works.
Ephesians 2:8-9
We must have faith in order to receive God's grace. We receive God's gift when we trust in him.
We are saved only by what Jesus did for us (Option #2), not by what we try to do ourselves (Option #1).
So when we put our faith in Jesus Christ, it shows that we are completely trusting him and depending on him for our salvation – we aren’t depending on anything that we have done.
Faith is the same as saying: God, please save me, because only you can save me – I cannot save myself.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST?
1. We receive Jesus Christ, himself:
[God] has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Ephesians 1:3
Christ in you [is] the hope of glory.
Colossians 1:27
[Jesus said,] “I am in you and you are in me.”
John 1:12
[Paul writes:] I pray that out of his [God’s] glorious riches he may strengthen you with power in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
Ephesians 3:16
This sums up everything!
It is all through Christ. There is no blessing apart from Jesus Christ.
2. We now live under God’s grace – no longer under his wrath.
We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.
Romans 5:1-2
3. We become a new creation!
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.
I Corinthians 5:17
[Then] like newborn babies…grow up in your salvation.
I Peter 2:2
4. We become a child of God.
To all who received him [Jesus Christ], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
John 1:12
[Before] we were God’s enemies.
Romans 5:10
You received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "...Father." The [Holy] Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Romans 8:15-17
5. All our sins are forgiven.
In him [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.
Ephesians 1:7
After we believe, we continue to confess to God the sins that we commit.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
I John 1:9
6. We receive eternal life.
• We have eternal life as soon as we believe in Jesus.
[Jesus said:] “I tell you the truth, whoever…believes him [God the Father] who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”
John 5:24
• Our spirits are immediately made alive in Christ, but our physical bodies will still die.
If Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.
Romans 8:10
• But when our physical bodies die, we (our souls) will instantly be in heaven with Christ.
We know that if the earthly tent [body] we live in is destroyed [dies], we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. …[We will] be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
II Corinthians 5:1, 8
• In the end we will receive resurrected bodies in which we will exist on the New Earth.
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
Romans 8:11
Already, but not yet!
We have it – but we have to wait!
• This will happen when Christ returns from heaven.
[Jesus promises:] As lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming [again] of the Son of Man [Jesus Christ].
Matthew 24:27
You can't miss it!
So don't be deceived by false claims of Jesus' return...
[Jesus warns us:] "If anyone says to you, 'Look here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect–if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it."
Matthew 24:23-26
• So we will not experience everything eternal life has to offer us until God creates a New Heaven and a New Earth.
7. We receive Christ’s righteousness.
You are in Christ Jesus, who has become…our righteousness [and] holiness. - I Corinthians 1:30
We cannot create righteousness on our own.
What a great deal!
Jesus took our sins and gave us his righteousness.
8. We receive the mind of Christ.
We have the mind of Christ.
I Corinthians 2:16
The way we think about everything can be transformed, because we can think as Christ does.
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is.
Romans 12:2
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus… Be…like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Philippians 2:5, 2-4 [新改訳]
9. What happened to Christ happens to us (because he is our representative):
All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. …If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.
Romans 6:3, 5
Jesus died > We died with him.
Jesus rose > We rise with him.
10. So our Old Self was crucified.
We know that our Old Self was crucified with him [Christ], so…that we should no longer be slaves to sin.
Romans 6:6
This is a crucial fact to always remember.
Our Old Self was enslaved to Sin. But now, for the first time in our lives, victory over sin is possible.
But victory over sin is not automatic. We cannot be passive.
How Do I Take Advantage of this Reality?
a. Fully embrace your new identity.
[So] count yourselves dead to Sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Romans 6:11
You have a New Self in Christ. Your Old Self was crucified with Christ, so clearly see yourself as dead to Sin. And consciously grasp the truth that your New Self is alive in relation to God – and has nothing to do with Sin.
b. Intentionally focus your mind.
Those who live according to the flesh*** have their minds set on what that nature desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
Romans 8:5
In both a. and b., how you think is the key. Set your mind on the things of God.
Since...you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Colossians 3:1-2
c. Consciously take action.
Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, …and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
Romans 6:13
Use your body to please God.
It is the tool God gives us to please him.
I urge you...in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices...to God.
Romans 12:1
Give your body to God.
d. Put off the Old Self.
Put off your Old Self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.
Ephesians 4:22
Our Old Self is ‘crucified with Christ,’ but it is still a powerful force within us that we must resist and defeat. This battle will continue until our physical bodies die and we go to be with Christ forever. Then, finally, we will be completely free of the Old Self.
Illustration:
Dandelions are very strong, aggressive, persistent plants. Americans hate dandelions because their coarse leaves ruin the beauty of the lawn. One flower can produce over 100 seeds, and one plant over 2000 seeds, so dandelions can spread across a lawn very quickly. So Americans try to pull them up. At the moment you pull up a dandelion plant it dies, but it doesn't look dead. The buds and yellow flowers on it don't instantly shrivel up. There is still a lot of energy in the pulled-up plant. Depending on what you do with it, it will look alive for a number of days. It has already been killed, but especially if you put it in water the buds will open and the flowers will turn to puff balls full of seeds that can continue to spread across the lawn. It can "live" and continue to cause trouble for quite a long time after it has died.
Our Old Self is like a pulled-up dandelion plant. It was crucified with Christ, but it is still a powerful force within us – especially if we nourish it. So we must resist it and "put off" our Old Self. We can only do this in close cooperation with God's Holy Spirit.
e. Live in dependence on God’s Holy Spirit – see #12.
11. We are given a New Self.
Put on the New Self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:24
We can't respond passively to the New Self that God has given us.
Illustration:
If someone gives us a beautiful, new set of clothing and accessories, we don't just put them in the closet. They do us no good in the closet. We have to put them on.
But not only must we put on our new clothes. We must also take off the dirty, torn old clothes that we have been wearing.
Putting on the New Self and putting off the Old Self is a process that we go through our entire lives. In cooperation with God's Spirit, it takes time and effort.
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.
I Peter 2:2
“Eat” God’s Word (the Bible) so that you can grow.
Illustration:
A new baby does not automatically become an adult. It must eat and learn and grow. We have been given new spiritual life. Now we must grow into the mature person that God wants us to be.
12. God gives us his Holy Spirit [the Spirit of Christ].
• Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?
I Corinthians 6:19
God’s Holy Spirit is living in us.
• You received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “…Father.” The Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
Romans 8:16
The Holy Spirit assures us that we are God’s children.
• The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Galatians 5:22-23
The Holy Spirit produces good fruit in us.
This happens when we cooperate with the Holy Spirit.
Illustration:
Only a living tree produces real fruit. We can only produce spiritual fruit if we are spiritually alive. It is only because of the living Spirit of God within us that we can produce genuine fruit.
Before we believed in Christ and received God's Spirit:
You were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world.
Ephesians 2:1-2
All our righteous acts are like filthy rags.
Isaiah 64:6
Illustration:
An artificial Christmas tree can produce no fruit, because it has no life – it is a “dead” tree. No matter how much you decorate an artificial Christmas tree, and no matter how beautiful you make it look, it is still dead. Those decorations are not real fruit. And those decorations cannot make the tree come alive. If we do not believe in Christ we are “dead in our sins” – and no amount of good deeds that we do will change our true nature – we are still spiritually dead. We may try to decorate our lives with good deeds, but those “good” deeds are no better than decorations on a dead, artificial Christmas tree.
• The righteous requirements of the Law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:4
The Holy Spirit enables us to meet God’s righteous requirements.
13. We become part of Christ’s family – his Church – his body.
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God.
I John 3:1
You [all] are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
I Corinthians 12:27
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.
Hebrews 10:25
So go to church!
Cultural Point:
The Bible describes our relationship to Creator God primarily as a relationship – not as a religion. In the 1000-plus page Bible, the word “religion” is only used about 3 times to describe this, but God is called “Father” over 260 times! This means that when we believe in Jesus Christ we join God’s family. This is very important because many people, easterners and westerners, view “religion” primarily as a personal or private matter. But Creator God describes our relationship to him as a family matter – as joining the body of Christ.
Unfortunately, Japanese do tend to see “religious” belief as a private matter, so it is easy to also categorize faith in Christ as a private “religious” matter. Yet they have a great cultural advantage [see: 6. An eastern perspective makes it easier to understand…] that can help them understand Creator God’s perspective: that they are joining his family. From a very young age, they grow up experiencing and understanding the benefits of being closely identified with their group. So they instinctively understand the meaning of “body.” But to take advantage of this cultural insight, it is important for their faith in Christ to be categorized correctly in their own minds. It is very important to take it out of the category of private “religion.” And it is essential to place it in the category of family “relationship”.
So become an active part of God’s family!
14. God gives each of us specific work and purpose in this life.
We are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10
Your life has great purpose, meaning and responsibility. God, beforehand, prepared specific things that he wants you to do.
15. We will be persecuted.
Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
II Timothy 3:12
[Jesus said:] “Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man [Jesus Christ]. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven.”
Luke 6:22-23
Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." 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, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
I Peter 3:13-16
If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we [do indeed] face death all day long; we are [indeed] considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:31-39
16. We will be rewarded or judged for everything we do.
[Jesus said:] If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.
Matthew 10:42
God will reward even the smallest thing that we do.
But we must do things in love for Christ’s sake.
If I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor…, but have not love, I gain nothing.
I Corinthians 13:3
[A person’s] work will be shown for what it is, because the Day [of Judgment] will bring it to light. …The fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved.
I Corinthians 3:13-15
Our work for God will be tested and rewarded accordingly.
But our eternal salvation is secure.
17. In the end, God will live with us forever on a New Earth.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. …And I heard a loud voice from the throne [of God] saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” …No longer will there be any curse. …His servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
Revelation 21:1, 3-4; 22:3-4
Creator God’s desire throughout the whole Bible is to have an intimate relationship with us!
In the end this will happen and everything will be perfect!
Who can get in?
Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s [Christ’s] Book of Life.
Revelation 21:27
These people are those who have been forgiven and made righteous by believing in Christ’s death and resurrection.
As the scripture says, "Anyone who trust in him [Jesus Christ] will never be put to shame." ...For "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
Romans 10:11-13
Who cannot get in?
If anyone's name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire.
Revelation 20:15
Illustration:
On the Day of Judgment we don’t want to be like an over-confident high school student who thinks that he has done well on his university entrance exam. On the day that the results are posted, he goes expectantly to the university to check the results. But when he eagerly looks for his name/number on the board, he cannot find it and is totally devastated.
WHAT SHOULD I DO TO RECEIVE ALL THIS?
The Spirit…say[s], “Come!” …Whoever is thirsty let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
Revelation 22:17
This is God’s invitation to you on the last page of the Bible!
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I Believe in Jesus Christ – Now What Do I Do?
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