Yes! There is Good News! 7.23.2016

There are many “threads” that run through the Bible, weaving a multi-colored tapestry and one of those is the concept of freedom. Last week I mentioned freedom from “the law of sin and death” as Paul stated in Romans 8:2 This freedom only comes through choosing Jesus Christ as one's personal savior. Oh, really! ... Just what does it mean to have a personal savior?

Let me begin to answer by stating that, “God so loved the World that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” This is probably the most quoted scripture. And many people misread it. Yes, He gave His Son for the World, but in order to not perish and to have life and thereby to have this freedom we have been talking about, one must do something. One must believe in this “sacrificial Son of God.” (A little side note is that this word “perish” comes from a Greek word that means “to destroy fully.”)

You want a personal Savior? You must believe! You say you believe in God, good, even the demons believe that and shudder (see James 2:19). Do we really think we can just pay lip service to the Creator of the Universe and all will be well with us? Can we just give a nod and wink of the eye to Him who gives us life itself; who has written the entire DNA code for our bodies, and expect life eternal with him?

No. “Belief” as we read it in the Bible, is so much more than that. The Greek word for belief is “pisteuo” and by definition means, “to be persuaded of, and to place confidence in; to trust, and significance reliance upon, not just belief. Maybe translated as ‘commit unto,’ or ‘commit one's trust’”

So, do you have faith in a personal Savior? Have you really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior? Are you, “persuaded of” Him?

Have you committed yourself so as to place your trust in Him? He gave His life for you; have you given back that life to Him for safe keeping? A lot of questions here to answer in order to get the good news of that freedom.

More on this next time ...