there is
HOPE!
GOD SEES YOU.
GOD CARES.
Embedded Files
- Jesus, Quoting Isaiah 61:1-2 -
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”
Luke 4:18-19
THE PROBLEM
If we could get real honest, we live under the weight of guilt and the consequences of our own mistakes. Why? Either through ignorance or sheer will, every person has gone their own way, instead of being obedient to God.
To compensate, most of us strive to find a good way in this world—whichever way seems right to us: religion, science, work, charity, escaping... But our good intentions and helpful works are often just a cover—us hoping to work our way into God's blessing.
"All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own."
Isaiah 53:6
"For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard."
Romans 3:23
WHO'S GOOD ENOUGH?
You may think: "I'm not that bad, as I haven't killed anyone or cheated on my spouse." Imagine a cold glass of pure spring water. Nice, right? Enjoy! Now imagine taking a tiny drop of polluted toilet water and mixing it in. Want some now? Even a little bit of wrong doing or thinking spoils all of us, just like that water.
So all our good efforts are simply a blind hope, but wthey ithout solid assurance. Our good works don't give us peace in our souls, forgiveness for our guilty hearts, or real ability to change our bad habits. And our good works don't make us right in God's eyes: Only God himself can cover our sins—we need him to intervene on our behalf.
"It is your sins that separate you from your God. He turns away from you when he sees them."
Isaiah 59:1-2
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 6:23
We need God to show us the right way.
AMAZING GRACE
Imagine that God is a judge who steps down off his chair to sign his own son into your sentence papers, a sentence that you could never pay except with your life. Jesus, God's son - God in the flesh - lived a perfect life and yet was crucified on our behalf.
But Jesus didn't stay dead! He rose from the grave three days afterward. The ultimate act of love - dying to pardon another person - was followed by the ultimate act of power - resurrection. His death washes wrongdoing away and his resurrection ensures power for those who follow him.
"For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16
"Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood."
Romans 3:24-25
IN GOD WE TRUST
What is our response? We trust in Jesus' death & resurrection - clearing and cleansing our wrongdoing before God - and proclaim that He is Lord of everything, including ourselves. Then we do what the first Christians did, but by faith: follow Jesus.
As students of Jesus, following his commands and teachings, God gives us power to live self-controlled, loving, and upright lives. That power comes through the Holy Spirit - a close relationship with God himself - the Bible, and other believers.
"He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them."
2 Corintians 5:15
"If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, 'Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.'"
Romans 10:9-10
SO, WHAT NOW?
To worship God, we need to understand who he is and what he asks of us. So we seek God and invite him into our lives by reading the Bible and putting what we learn into daily practice - we humbly let God teach us his thoughts and ways, the rest of our lives.
We turn away from selfish living and live for God instead. We strive to honor him in our homes, jobs, and recreations. We also find other believers to grow up together in knowledge, faith, and love for God and other people. In short, we aim to be like Jesus and do what he did - we are the ongoing expression of his mission over 2000 years ago. He is alive and still working wonders, today!
"Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Acts 2:37-38
"All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer."
Acts 2:42
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Ephesians 2:8-9
FURTHER READING
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"Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.
Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.
Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously."
Isaiah 55:6-7
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