Every single day I read the news; both on the internet and the television. I like to access different websites and different TV channels to get a proper perspective of THE NEWS.
This morning I thought: What about an overview of this life and the life to follow? Now, that's NEWS!!! This picture sums up the possibilities for everyone. At the left there is a choice- believe the Gospel or not. All will die: Those who believe and obey the Gospel are destined for eternal life, those who do not will die eternally.
Consider the following overview...
1 Corinthians, Chapter 15 (WEB)
1 Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News (emphasis added) which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (emphasis added) 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.
Christ's death, burial and resurrection: God's answer to humanity's problem of sin!!!
Our response to this GOOD NEWS!!!
Romans, Chapter 1 (World English Bible)
1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God, (emphasis added) 2 which he promised before through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was born of the offspring of David according to the flesh, 4 who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all the nations (emphasis added) for his name’s sake;
16 For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, (emphasis added) because it is the power of God for salvation (emphasis added) for everyone who believes, for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.
Romans, Chapter 3 (WEB)
21 But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, (emphasis added) being testified by the law and the prophets; 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction, 23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;
Romans, Chapter 6 (WEB)
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? (emphasis added)2 May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection; (emphasis added) 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him; 9 knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over him! 10 For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God. 11 Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Christians are people who have decided to follow Jesus. People who have determined to put away sin in their lives and follow God in all things here and now, that by the mercy of God they may life forever with HIM!
Why wouldn't everyone want to live? Because some people love to sin more than they love God. To exchange the momentary pleasures of sin for an eternal death sounds foolish to me, but its up to each one of us to choose for ourselves.
I think I would love to live forever with God who loves me to die for me- how about you?
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