WORLD-VIEW

I’ve always been amazed that so many Christians can read the same Bible and have many different beliefs. This is why there are so many different denominations. I’m also amazed when several scientists view the same archaeological evidence, and come to very different conclusions, especially concerning the age of the earth, dinosaurs, and other fossils.

It’s the same with politics. Democrats and Republicans are now so far apart in beliefs and ideas that it seems there’s not even a few issues we can agree on. It all comes down to our worldview. Our worldview, or how we look at the world, determines everything else we believe, as well as how we act, and how we treat others in our everyday lives.

That’s why it’s very important to have a “Biblical Worldview.” In other words, we need to see the world through the lens of God’s holy word, the Bible. You may ask, What good is a biblical worldview when there are so many different opinions, and interpretations of God’s word? That’s a good question. The answer is simple. The Bible says spiritual things are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:13-14). Jesus said, Everyone must be born again (John 3: 1-7).

There are many people who claim to be Christians, but do not bear the fruits of a Christian. Jesus said his Born Again followers will be known by their fruits, which are the works or deeds that they do (Matthew 7:16). Nobody knows everything, no matter how close we are to God, but if a person is not born again, with the Holy Spirit living inside, they cannot understand the Bible correctly.

Unfortunately, there are many people who have not been born again, but claim to be Christians simply because they believe God exists. They don’t believe IN God, they just believe there IS a God, and they think that makes them a Christian. When Jesus returns, those people will be in the group that Jesus tells to depart from him because he never knew them. They never knew him, nor had a relationship with him.

The Bible is an awesome book. It’s God’s instructions to every human on how to be saved, and what to do after we’re saved. We need the Holy Spirit to help us understand the word of God, and to help us carry out his instructions.

If you haven’t been born again and become a new creature with the Holy Spirit living in your mind, then you’re not saved. Just believing that God exists does not save us. The Bible says the demons believe, but they’re certainly not saved (James 2:9). We must be born again for the blood of Jesus to wash away our sins, and to inherit eternal life.

Jesus loves you so much that he suffered and died to save you. He wants you to live with him forever, so don’t wait another minute. Trust in Jesus right now. Repent and be born again, and receive eternal life (Romans 6:23; John 3:16).

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WHERE WAS THE TV GOING?

Almost every morning on my way to work, I see the same little gray car headed East as I drive West. I guess I see a lot of the same cars every day, but I don’t really pay that much attention to them. Most cars these days look so similar that not many stand out. I probably notice the little gray Chevette because it’s an older, unique, car, and I had one exactly like it when I was younger, but this story is not about either of those cars. Let me explain.

Early, one Autumn morning, I was driving to work as usual. I was in the right Westbound lane, listening to the radio, minding my own business when a car slowly started to pass me in the left Westbound lane. I don’t even know what kind of car it was, now that I think about it. I think it was gray, but I’m not even sure about that. Something else grabbed my attention and that’s all I could focus on at the time. As the car advanced from beside me, I looked over as it slowly passed by. As I looked at the car, I noticed there was a big wide-screen TV box in the back seat.

As the car slowly faded from my sight, I began to wonder about a few things. Where were they going? Where were they coming from? Was the TV, brand new? Were they taking it home to set it up or were they returning it to the store where they purchased it? Were they taking it to be repaired? Was there even a TV in the box? Was it just an empty box they were using for something else? The questions seemed endless.

I thought this lingering interest in the TV box was a little strange myself, and you may think I’m a complete nut, but I kept thinking about it and drew some interesting parallels and conclusions.

We all see people every day headed down the road of life. We usually have no idea where they’re going nor where they’ll end up. Most of us probably don’t think twice about them unless they affect us somehow. We don’t know how rocky the road they’re on really is. We don’t even know which road they’re on; the narrow road that leads to heaven or the wide road that leads to hell. Some would say that’s nobody’s business, but if we’re Christians, we have a responsibility to them, and to God, to reach out to them and make sure they know that there’s a heaven to gain, and a hell to shun. Many unsaved people have no idea that by not choosing Jesus, they’re choosing Satan by default. Jesus said, “Whoever is not with me is against me” (Matthew 12:30). There’s no middle ground.

So, take an interest in people; where they go, and what they do. What’s going on in their lives and in their families? Not to judge them, or gossip about them, but to know what their situation is. To understand what their immediate, personal needs are, and how we can help them; Be kind. Be a friend. Then you’ll know what, and how to be praying for them. You’ll find out their immediate situation, and their spiritual condition. Are they saved? Do they have a relationship with Jesus or are they bound for hell fire? Again, not to judge or gossip, but to help them.

Prayer is the most important thing you can do for anybody, but don’t stop there. Have you ever heard the phrase, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care?” That’s an interesting statement, and it’s certainly true. Many people think they have everything figured out. They think that knowing and believing that “there IS a God” is the same as “knowing God”, but that’s not the case at all. We get to know God by reading his word and communicating with him through prayer.

Many people miss what Jesus told Nicodemus that night so long ago. He said, “Everyone must be born again” (John 3:3-7). Referring to this, Paul said we are changed, and become a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17). We’re recreated or “born again.” When we’re born again, our past sins are forgiven, and the Holy Spirit comes to live in our minds to lead and guide us and change us. That’s what we all need. It’s what we must all have if we want that eternal life to spend with Jesus. If you don’t have eternal life yet, please, turn to Jesus today and be saved. He’s eagerly waiting to give you the peace and comfort of salvation.

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SPEAKING WITH THE CAPTAIN

September of this year (2018) marked the seventeenth anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy which brought down the Twin Towers in New York, and reports say, almost three thousand people lost their lives. A lot has changed since that dark day, but one thing that hasn’t changed, even since the time of Moses, is the fact that when things get bad, many people turn to God. Then when things don’t look so gloomy anymore, he gets put back on the shelf, and it’s back to the same old grind; “Life as usual.”

That’s what appears to have happened concerning the 9/11 tragedy. For quite a while afterward, it was widely reported that the attack had brought America together in a way not heard of before. There were reports of church attendance shy-rocketing in a similar way that the Y2K scare had prompted so many to seek God. But, eventually, as time went by and the threat lessened, many of those newcomers went back to their old lives and put God back in storage until they need him again.

God is always there for us when we need him, but he’s also there when things are going great. Oftentimes, longing for our companionship. In tragedy, in happiness, in poverty, or in prosperity, there’s never a time when we don’t need God. Even Jesus relied on God. He said, “I can do nothing by myself” (John 5:30). 

How much less can we do without God? We must realize that we’re “only dust” (Genesis 18:27). It took God to make that dust become flesh, and it takes his power to maintain it. Sure, we can do it our way, and many do but look what God’s word says about that. “There is a way that seems right to men, but in the end, it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12). So what do we do? We must develop a close, personal relationship with God through Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). How do we do that? The answer is prayer.

First, we “must be born again” (John 3:1, 7). Without that new birth, humans don’t want to serve God. We don’t want to submit to authority. We don’t want someone telling us what to do. We want to be in control. We want to do what we want to do so that attitude has to go and God is the only one who can purge it from us. Hearing the word of God, and seeing our great need for his forgiveness is the first step. The next step is asking God to save us, and he will (Romans 10:13, Acts 2:21).

There’s an old English proverb that says, “Many things are lost for lack of asking.” James said the same thing in James 4:2; “You do not have because you do not ask.” Jesus said, “Ask and you will receive” (John 16:24). Prayer is the key to success in every situation. From being saved to being healed; From being able to forgive someone, to finding a spouse, or a job. Prayer is the breath of the soul. Prayer is two-way communion with the Creator. It’s not reserved for just asking him for help. 

We can come to him any time. He wants us to talk to him daily and he wants to talk to us. The more we communicate with him, the closer we’ll grow to him, and the closer we get to him, the better we’ll understand what he wants us to do, and how he wants us to act. The better we know him the more we love him, and the more we love him the more we want to obey. That’s how we grow as his followers.

The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 that we should “pray without ceasing.” He’s not saying we should constantly be on our knees with our eyes closed. He’s simply telling us to stay in constant communication with God in our minds. God can hear what we are thinking and he can talk to us in our minds. We just need to listen. He’s always speaking to us and he’s always listening, so ask him for what you need, and yes, ask him for what you want as well. “He will not hold back any good thing from those who live right” (Psalm 84:11).

Be sure to pray for others daily as well, and don’t forget to thank God for all you have, and for every answered prayer. “…in everything, make your requests known to God by asking him in prayer, with thanksgiving.” (Phil 4:6b).

The Christian life is not all fun and games, but it’s a lot more simple than many think it is. Again, the key to a good relationship with God is prayer. So be sure to communicate with him daily.

In the Bible, life is sometimes compared to a ship sailing on the sea. As the old Ship of Zion sails these troubled waters, we all must realize that we’re not merely passengers along for the ride. We’re part of the crew. We have to remain in constant contact with the Captain. We can’t do it right on our own. We need that close, personal relationship to remain faithful, especially in the storms. 

Sometimes it seems easier to abandon ship, but in God’s word, we’re told that unless we remain in the ship we can’t be saved (Acts 27:31). So no matter how rough the waters ahead become, or how bad the storms are, remain faithful and don’t abandon the ship. In Matthew 24:13, Jesus says, “Those who endure until the end will be saved.”

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FINDING TREASURE

We lived in Theo, Mississippi from the year I was three years old until the year I turned twelve. I had many adventures in that little community and I loved living there. We lived in four different houses during those years. I remember five different little country stores being in the community during that time. There were two pretty close to our house and they were in business at the same time with a third one a few miles down the main highway. One of the two that were close together closed down when I was maybe five years old, but another one opened up across the road so there were three again. We always lived within walking distance of a store and we would walk to our aunt’s house as well.

By the time the fifth store opened, we had moved again, and it was about the same distance from our house as the other two where we usually went, but we only had to walk a short distance on the highway and then cut through a church parking lot. Then it was just a short walk up a gravel road that never had much traffic.

One day, as we were walking to that store, I was dragging behind my grandmother and my two sisters at the time. We weren’t really in any hurry, anyway. Then, all of a sudden, I saw a dollar bill on the ground. A dollar was an awesome discovery at that time, so imagine how excited I was when I picked it up and realized it was a ten-dollar bill. I was so excited! I ran to catch up with my family yelling, “Look what I found, look what I found! I found ten dollars! Y’all walked right over it and didn’t even see it!”

I was rich! We walked on to the store, but I was not trailing behind this time. I was out in front, leading the pack. I went into the store and started looking to see what I could buy. What do you think a kid with ten dollars would buy in a grocery store forty years ago? If you said candy, you’re right. Sodas were only a quarter then, and so were candy bars. You could get ten pieces of candy, like Jolly Ranchers, for a penny. Double Bubble chewing gum was only a few cents each, and a pack of 16 baseball cards with a stick of gum inside was only a quarter. I bought several things for myself and my sisters and still had lots of money left over. That was a great day.

Another time, I found treasure was really like a scavenger hunt or an archeology dig. Back then, Coca-Cola was giving away prizes. I think you could win several different things, including free drinks and money and you didn’t have to wait. You just give the store owner the cap and get your drinks or money. We didn’t have much money to buy drinks, so we didn’t have many opportunities to win, but I had an idea. The bottle caps that could only be opened with a bottle opener were still being made, and the stores in the neighborhood had coke coolers with bottle openers that hung on the front with a long reservoir that held the caps. When they were full, they could be taken off the cooler and emptied into the trash. I asked the owners if we could look through their bottle caps before they threw them away. One store owner, Mrs. Wilbanks, said, “Sure.”

There must have been fifty or sixty caps in there and we looked at every single one of them but only found one winner. It was a prize of ten dollars cash. I gave the cap to Mrs. Wilbanks and she opened the cash register and handed me a ten-dollar bill. I don’t remember what we bought that time, but I’m sure we went wild.

These memories remind me of a parable that Jesus told about finding treasure. He said that the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he went and sold everything he had and bought that field (Matt. 13:44).

Jesus told many parables about the kingdom of heaven to show us how valuable it really is. He wants us all in his kingdom. When we understand what a treasure he has to offer us, we will give up all worldly things and put our trust in him.

In John 3:3, Jesus said, “Unless a person is born again, they cannot see the kingdom of God.”

At first, Nicodemus did not understand what Jesus was saying. Many today do not understand what it means to be born again. Jesus explains it more clearly in Matthew 18:3. He said, “Unless you are converted, and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Children are pure and innocent. Jesus, Peter, and Paul compared being born again to becoming like babies; like becoming a new person. We’re basically starting over with a new life like a baby. We drink the pure milk of the word (1 Peter 2:2, I Corinthians 3:2, Hebrews 5:13). We learn like children until we become stronger in knowledge and graduate from milk to solid food. We are learning to be holy instead of the old sinful person we were. 
We’re born into this world as servants to sin because of Adam. The new birth is absolutely essential if we want to go to heaven. Without it, we can’t be saved. Remember, Jesus said, “You must be born again” (John 3:7).

Salvation is free, but each person has to accept it for themselves. If you haven’t been born again, I urge you to ask Jesus to save you right now. If you need more information on how to be saved here’s a link that will help.

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

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3 GIRLS, 3 GUYS, AND A GREMLIN

I’ll never forget the year I turned nineteen. My cousin invited me to go to church with him, so I did. I loved that church and I loved the people. I still do. They were so kind and loving and fun to be around. They didn’t condemn me because I wasn’t a Christian. They just loved me, and showed me kindness, and made me feel like part of the family.

I was raised in church and was taught that the Bible is God’s word, but when I was sixteen, I left home and left all that behind, but now, I was going to church several nights each week, and reading the Bible again. My life was much better. I was headed in a positive direction and I actually felt good about it. As I read more about Jesus and got to know him, I grew to love him. Soon, I gave my life to him and was born again.  

Some of my cousins and friends started coming to church, and we made new friends. We had a prayer meeting night, a youth night, and a choir practice night each week. We would hang out in the little town some nights after services. We did a lot of fun stuff and had many adventures and I learned that I didn’t need drugs or alcohol to enjoy life.    

Things aren’t always perfect, though, just because we are serving God. I want to tell you about a few adventures we had that weren’t pleasant at all, but I know God was with us, and when I look back on them now, I sometimes laugh.

We were taking one of our friends home one night after church when I ran into a mud puddle on the edge of the road. The wheel quickly jerked and pulled the right two wheels into the shallow ditch. I had heard people say, “If that ever happens, turn your wheels back to the road and gas it, and you’ll come back up out of the ditch.” Well, I took their advice and floored it as I turned the wheel back toward the road. It might have worked except for one small detail. The ditch didn’t remain at a consistent depth. It quickly got deeper. Really deep, in fact. Before I knew it, the car was on its side and we were all piled up on each other on the passenger’s side of the car. We had to climb up to get out the driver’s side door, then we had to walk for a few miles to get some help. We finally got the car out, and we were on our way again. God protected us from getting hurt. The side of my car was all bent and scratched up, but we weren’t. Praise the Lord for that.

We were at McDonald’s one night and saw some of our friends there. They were in another car so we were sitting alongside each other facing opposite directions. When they started driving forward, I started backing up, staying beside them, and continuing to talk to them. I glanced back at the parking lot behind me and knew there were no other cars back there. It was all clear. Then, all of a sudden, my car came to an abrupt stop. I had hit a light pole with a concrete base. We were traveling pretty slow, so nobody was hurt and neither was the car. I never did that again without looking back.

Another time, we were headed to church in that little yellow Gremlin. There were three guys and three girls. There were two guys in the back seat and I was driving. The girls all wanted to sit in the front seat together. We were packed in like sardines and one girl was sitting on the other two girls’ laps. When we reached the main highway, I stopped. Then, as I drove out and turned to the right, the girls all fell over on me and grabbed the steering wheel. It felt like it locked. I couldn’t straighten the car up. We quickly headed for the steep embankment and would have gone over if I hadn’t slammed on the brakes just in time. God was with us that day, too, and gave me the wisdom to know just what to do.

As I look back on my early days as a Christian, I’m encouraged. I remember what my life was before Jesus became part of it, and I can imagine how much worse it might have become if I hadn’t started following him. He changed my life in so many ways, and I’m so thankful.

He knew exactly what I needed and he knew the exact time I needed it. He sent me to that little church where his servants would show me his love. They loved me just like I was, and they allowed God to change me in his own time. That’s the way it should be done. We’re fishers of men, but we have to allow God to clean them. We can plant the seeds, and even water them, but it’s God who causes the trees to produce fruit (1 Corinthians 3:6).

It’s amazing how God can turn a life around and give it meaning and purpose. That’s what he did for me that night he came into my heart in that little church. When we get discouraged, and the pressures of life get us down, we need to remember where God brought us from and how he changed our lives. Many times, looking back will give us the strength and courage to keep moving forward.

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DEATH IS EASIER TO ACCEPT WHEN...

It’s hard to say goodbye to anyone we care about, but it’s even more difficult when it’s a family member; especially when death is the one at the door, ready to remove them from your life. You wish you had said more and done more. You think about the time you could have spent with them but didn’t. Now all you can do is cry, and pray, and hope they can hear you when you tell them you love them one last time before they slip away.

That’s all we could do as we stood there in the hospital, waiting for my dad to die. He had accepted it, and so had we. What else could we do? We had been praying and praying. For months, we had been asking God to heal him and get him back on his feet. He had improved several times, but it never lasted long.

Things had gotten so bad that he just wanted to die. He was so sick and weak. He was tired of hurting. His heart rate had dropped, his blood pressure was really low, and his potassium level was almost non-existent. He was vomiting up bile and stomach acid. His kidneys were not working, and he had diarrhea. He was passing blood through his stool and he had a high fever. The doctors did all they could, but they told us they didn't expect him to make it this time.

I thought about how strong he had always been, or maybe he was just plain stubborn. I don’t know. For years, he never went to the doctor. I never remember him having any major health problems. He had back surgery when he was nineteen years old. He had a pretty bad case of ulcers about twenty-five years ago. After that, he started going to the doctor regularly. A few years ago he had surgery to repair a hernia. He found out he had a touch of diabetes, and his blood pressure was a little high, so he took some pills for that and had to watch what he ate. Overall, though, he seemed to be doing okay for his age.

Then, that all changed. In the Autumn of 2015, he started passing fresh blood through his stool. He went to the doctor and discovered he had a tumor inside his colon. It was cancer. He had it removed, along with part of his colon. Not long after that, he got really sick and had to go back to the hospital. This time it was his gallbladder. They opened him up to remove it, but it was so inflamed and swollen that they couldn’t get it out immediately. It was actually stuck to his liver and intestines. The doctor said it was a big mess in there. It was the worst case he had ever seen. They closed him back up and put in some tubes to drain all the infection out before it could be removed, and they sent him home. He went back every few weeks for the doctor to check and see if it had improved enough to operate.

Then he started seeing and hearing things that weren’t there so he had to go back to the hospital. This time, the doctors said he had the symptoms of early dementia. He was agitated and upset, so they started giving him something to calm him down. It only made him worse. He was seeing things and dreaming terrible dreams, and he believed it was all real. He was so afraid he actually called 911 from the hospital. He was constantly trying to escape because he thought someone was trying to kill him, and eventually he believed that they actually had. It was so sad. It broke my heart to see him in that condition and to know there was nothing I could do about it. He was too weak to stand and walk by himself, but that didn’t stop him from trying. He crawled out of bed, and fell to the floor, and damaged his knee and ankle.

His potassium kept dropping to dangerous levels so that was a factor in opening him back up as well. They finally got it to stay up long enough to get his gallbladder out, and soon he was back in his right mind. The infection from the gallbladder had poisoned his system and made him delusional. Then the medicine they gave him to calm him down had only added to that. It was great to be able to have a normal conversation with him again.

We had to put him in rehab to try and get him walking again before he could go home. He was still so weak he was unable to do much for his rehabilitation. His potassium levels were still crazy and then several other problems developed and he just went downhill from there.

Now he was lying there dying, and there was nothing we could do to change that fact. We kept praying and asking God to make him well. The next day his vital signs all stabilized, and he was awake and talking. God answered our prayers once again. We were all so thankful. They moved him to a room, and in about a week he was able to go back to rehab. He was still not strong enough to do the exercises, and he was still sleeping a lot. He was still very weak and he was not improving. He got dehydrated again so the doctor sent him back to the hospital, and this time the ER doctor discovered that his Magnesium was low. He said Magnesium works with Potassium, and low levels of either one affect the heart and blood pressure.

More tests revealed what his stomach problem was. He had a pretty bad ulcer, so the doctor prescribed some medication for that. After getting the Magnesium and Potassium levels back up, he was more alert, wide awake, and laughing and joking again. He could raise himself up and sit on the side of the bed so they released him.

He didn’t want to go back to the nursing home for rehab, and we didn’t want him back there either. He wanted to go home. So, my mother and my sisters and I took turns staying with him until he could get well, but he never did. He only continued to get worse. He was in and out of the hospital for several weeks, then he was put on Hospice and we had to prepare ourselves all over again for him to die. It was so hard seeing him suffer all those months, but it was even harder to say our final goodbyes when we buried him.

We had hope and we believed God was going to heal him. I guess that’s why it was so hard to accept his death. He was supposed to get well. We were waiting for that miracle, but it never came.

The true miracle had already come several months before he got sick. He had accepted Jesus as his Savior and was born again. We saw a big change in him. He had been a cruel man. He had a filthy mouth and wasn’t considerate of anyone. He said whatever came into his mind, and it was usually vulgar. He was hateful and vindictive, mean-spirited, and sometimes hard to be around.

We were all amazed at the transformation God took him through in those months. For years, he sang and recorded Country music. Then he started singing and recording gospel songs, too. God had made a big change in him. That was the true miracle. For him to change like that after all those years had to be the work of the Creator.

It has been almost seven years since he died and I still miss him terribly. The new him, that is, and I’m looking forward to seeing him again after Jesus returns. The greatest gift anyone can give to their family when they die is the peace of knowing that they were saved and ready to go. It was sad to see our dad suffer and die, but, it would have been so much worse if we did not have that assurance. Think about it for a minute. If you were to die today, could your family have that assurance, and even more important, do you have it? If not, it’s time to do something about it. We’re not promised tomorrow. Jesus wants to save you. He wants to give you peace and eternal life. Will you let him?

If you need more information on how to be saved, read “What Must I Do To Be Saved?” You can have that assurance today, and leave your loved ones with the peace of mind that comes with knowing you were saved when you died, and you can have the assurance of eternal life with Jesus, who willingly suffered and died for you. Don’t put it off. Do it today.

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© 2017 Teddy Lynn – All Rights Reserved

My books are available in paperback and digital format on Amazon @ 
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UPDATED 02/11/2023

THE PLAGUE OF SIN

Sin is a plague, and we are all infected. The entire earth is under quarantine, because of this disease. The only antidote is the blood of Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God. He offers this cure to every human being on the planet, free of charge. God has vowed to destroy sin from the universe one day, and he will do that by burning the entire earth, at the second coming. The sad thing is, ALL those who have rejected the antidote, will still be infected at that time. Sadly, they will have to be burned along with sin to wipe out the plague forever.

We don’t have to end up in that cleansing lake of fire. 1 John 4:9 says, “In this, the love of God was manifested toward us because God sent his only begotten Son into the world so we might live through him.” That’s not talking about just living here on earth. It means we can live forever, with Jesus our Lord, and Savior. The one who loves us so much that he suffered and died to save us from the power and the consequences of sin.

Soon, Jesus will return to earth to rescue us from this plague. If we are still holding on to sin, then we will be destroyed along with it. Not because God is mean, or sadistic, but because we have allowed sin to become part of us, and God has set a time to destroy it. Jesus wants to set us free from sin and give us eternal life so we can spend eternity with him. He pleads with every person on earth to turn from sin and be saved. The love that our creator has for us is beyond our understanding. Even though we sin, and reject him over, and over again, he still loves us. When we realize he has that kind of love for us, it causes us to love him. When we truly realize how wretched, vile, and sinful we truly are in God’s sight, then see that he loves us anyway, it’s so amazing.

We have to be holy in God’s eyes to be saved in the end, but there’s no way we can possibly do that on our own. We have to be covered by the blood of Jesus, the holy Son of God. We have to believe in him and ask for his forgiveness, and he will hear us and save us (John 3:16, Romans 1:16). Then he will place a robe of righteousness on us. He becomes our substitute. The wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Eternal death. We have all earned death. We deserve to die because we have broken God’s law. This is called sin.

For sin to be forgiven, it requires a blood sacrifice. This was symbolized in the Old Testament sacrificial system, where animals were sacrificed for the sins of the people. It sounds archaic now, and maybe a little morbid, but God has a reason for everything he does. The sanctuary services represent the plan of salvation. If you want to understand this plan more fully, just study the sanctuary service in the old testament.

Almost two thousand years ago, Jesus, the pure, holy Lamb of God, left heaven and came to earth, lived a sinless life, suffered, and died. In this, he became the ultimate sacrifice for sin. We don’t sacrifice animals today because the blood of Jesus is all we need. He died for us all. He died in our place. God gave his only Son so you and I would not have to pay for our own sins (Luke 24:46-47). Now, all we need to do to receive forgiveness for those sins is to be sorry and want to stop sinning, then tell him so (Acts 3:19). He will apply his sacrifice to our account, and our debt will be cleared, and God sees us as holy. We are free from the plague of sin and have eternal life. Amazing. Right?

One day soon, the trumpet will sound from heaven (Matt. 24:31, 1 Cor. 15:52). The sky will burn (2 Pet. 3:10-11), and we will see Jesus coming in the clouds (Rev. 1:7, Matt. 24:30, 1 Thes. 4:16-17). What a glorious sight that will be to the ones who have been freed from sin by the shed blood of God’s Son, but for those who have refused his free, cleansing gift of salvation, it will be a day of sadness, and tears.

Malachi 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

Isaiah 13:9-13 says, “Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel, both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.”

In Ezekiel 33:11, God says, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked:”

The fact is, hell fire was designed for Satan, who started the sin problem, and his evil angels, not for humans. Hell fire is the method God will use to destroy sin from the universe forever. Again, if we are still holding onto sin, loving sin more than God, then we will be destroyed when he destroys sin. God doesn’t want that, but the choice has to be yours. Let go of sin today. Don’t hold on to it. Don’t let sin destroy you. Accept God’s free gift today, and live forever. 

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My Blogs
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© 2016 Teddy Lynn – All Rights Reserved

My books are available in paperback and digital format on Amazon @ 
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WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?

What must I do to be saved? That’s a good question. It’s a question many have asked. I asked that question many years ago. So did the prison guard in Acts 16:30. Paul and Silas had been thrown into prison after preaching the gospel in the city of Thyatira and casting a demon out of a possessed fortuneteller. They were praying at midnight, and everybody in the prison heard them. Then there was an earthquake and all the doors opened, and the chains fell off all the prisoners. The guard woke up and thought they had all escaped, so he was about to take his own life. Paul yelled out and told him not to hurt himself because they were all still there. Then the guard got a light and ran to where Paul and Silas were. He fell on his knees, shaking. Then he asked them the question, “What must I do to be saved?”

There are several different beliefs on salvation; how we receive it, and how it’s applied to the debt we all owe. We’re born into this world already sinners, because Adam chose to sin, and passed that sinful nature along to all his descendants. Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death;” Wages are something we earn. It’s our reward for the work we have done. In this case, not good work. By sinning, we have earned death. We all deserve to die because we are all sinners.

Now, most Christians will agree with me on that point, and most will agree that Jesus came to earth, lived a sinless life as a man, and died to save the human race. By the way, did you know that just the death of Jesus alone was not enough to save us? Without his resurrection, the plan would have been incomplete (1 Cor. 15:12-23). He died and rose again to save us from sin.

Still, there are several different beliefs on how salvation works. Some believe you have to work and earn salvation. Some believe we have to be perfect before God will even consider doing anything for us. Still, others believe the death of Jesus on the cross secures everyone who will ever live, and we don’t have to do anything or change anything to be saved. They say everyone is saved, simply because Jesus died to save us. Well, as you know, I like to see what the Bible says, so let’s do that now.

First, let me say that the Bible is clear that we are saved by grace, through faith, and there is nothing we can do to EARN salvation. That grace comes from God (1 John 1:17), and faith comes from God (Romans 12:3 Heb. 12:2), so do we have to do anything to be saved?

Bro. Charles Spurgeon said in order “to be saved, we must first know that we need saving, and what we need to be saved from. We must know that salvation is available, and we must know where to go, and what to do to receive it.” All that comes from HEARING. God gives us faith (Romans 12:3 Heb. 12:2), and that faith comes from hearing the word of God.

Romans 10:17 
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

2 Timothy 3:15 
“And that from a child you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

The next few verses show that we are saved through faith.

Ephesians 2:8a 
“For by grace you are saved through faith;”

Romans 5:1 
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”

Acts 15:9 
“And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts through faith.”

Romans 1:17 
“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”

Romans 3:22 
“Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:”

Clearly, righteousness comes by faith, and faith comes by hearing the word of God. We have to HEAR the word to BELIEVE.

John 5:24
“I tell you the truth, they that HEAR my word, and BELIEVE in him who sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

Acts 16:31 
“And they said, BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, and your house.”

John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever BELIEVES in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

Romans 1:16 
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that BELIEVES; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

These verses show that we have to BELIEVE in Jesus to be saved. This next point is a subject of controversy, but if you believe God’s word it’s clear. The next few verses show us that Jesus is the ONLY WAY TO BE SAVED.

John 14:6 
“Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no one comes to the Father but through me.”

Acts 4:12 
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

John 3:36 
“He that BELIEVES in the Son hath everlasting life, and he that BELIEVES not the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

So to recap, we must first HEAR the word of God. Specifically, the gospel, which is the good news about Jesus coming to save us. Then we must BELIEVE in the Son of God. What else must we do?

Matthew 4:17 
“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, REPENT for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Acts 3:19 
“So REPENT, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;”

Acts 26:20 
“But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should REPENT and turn to God, and do works fit for repentance.”

Revelation 3:3 
“So remember how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and REPENT.”

Revelation 3:19 
“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: so be zealous, and REPENT.”

Luke 13:3 
“I tell you, No: but, except you REPENT, you will all likewise perish.”

We must HEAR the word of God. We must BELIEVE in God and his Son. We must REPENT, which means to reconsider or think differently (to turn away from sin). Is there anything else?

1 John 1:9 
“If we CONFESS our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

If we don’t CONFESS, the opposite is true.

Romans 10:9-10
“If you will CONFESS with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will BELIEVE in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 
Because with the heart man BELIEVES unto righteousness, and with the mouth CONFESSION is made unto salvation.”

So in addition to HEARING, BELIEVING, and REPENTING, we must also CONFESS our sins to God, and CONFESS Jesus with our mouths.

Acts 2:38 
“Then Peter said to them, REPENT, and be BAPTIZED every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Mark 16:16 
“He that BELIEVES and is BAPTIZED will be saved, but he that BELIEVES not will be damned.”

Matthew 3:15 
“And Jesus answering said to him, Allow it to be so now: for thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness.”

1 Peter 3:21 
“The like figure whereunto even BAPTISM does also now save us (not the washing away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”

Many argue that BAPTISM doesn’t save us, and they’re right. BAPTISM alone won’t do anything for us, but it is part of the salvation process, and it is necessary. Jesus received the Holy Spirit after he was BAPTIZED (Mark 3:16). He and his disciples all gave us an example to follow (Matthew 3:13, Mark 1:5, Acts 9:18). Like most church doctrines, baptism is not a suggestion, it’s a command.

Acts 10:48a 
“And he COMMANDED them to be BAPTIZED in the name of the Lord.”

Acts 2:38 
“Then Peter said to them, REPENT, and be BAPTIZED every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

The last thing is to LIVE a GODLY life.

After we’re saved, we need to live a holy life. We can’t do this on our own. We can only do it by trusting in Jesus to guide us. We’re not perfect, but God wants us to aim for perfection. Jude 1:24 says he is able to keep us from sinning, but we have to allow him to do so. We grow as Christians by getting to know Jesus through reading the Bible and communicating with him daily through prayer. We need him to give us the strength to overcome sin in our lives. The closer we get to him, the further away from sin we will grow, and before we know it, we are a completely different person. We become holy, but as I said it is through the work of Jesus. A close, personal relationship with him is essential. This involves talking to him, and listening to him, and obeying him.

If we continue to live the same old life, without listening to God, and allowing him to change us, then we will grow further away from him, and we will be lost.

Ezekiel 18:21-22
“But IF the wicked will turn from all his sins that he has committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he will surely live, he will not die. All the sins that he has committed, will not be mentioned to him. In his righteousness that he hath done, he will live.”

That’s salvation. Now, look at this next verse closely.

Ezekiel 18:24
“But when the RIGHTEOUS turns away from his righteousness, and commits sin, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked do, shall he live? ALL his righteousness that he has done will NOT be mentioned. In his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them, he will die.”

In John 10:27-28, Jesus said, No one is able to pluck his sheep out of his hand. But, 2 Chronicles 15:2 says, If we forsake him, he will forsake us. No one can take us from God and his protection, but we can choose to leave him. He will not make us stay with him if we decide we no longer want to be in his hand. That would be slavery, not salvation.

So, contrary to popular belief, we can’t live any way we want to and stay saved. The “Once Saved, Always Saved” doctrine is not biblical. To remain saved, we must obey God. So, heed his warnings. This is serious. Jesus is our only hope. Cling to him for dear life, and obey his rules. If we truly love him we’ll want to obey. It’s not always easy, but he is able to keep us from falling if we just trust him (Jude 1:24).

So, to receive salvation, we must

HEAR, 
BELIEVE, 
REPENT, 
CONFESS, be 
BAPTIZED, and 
LIVE GODLY.

God is there with us through each step, and he’s longing to see every one of us come to him and be saved. So, if you’re not saved, what are you waiting for?

For more about Salvation, read Romans Chapter 1-4, and the articles called “God So Loved” and “Once Saved Always Saved.”

———————————————–
My Blogs
https://teddylynn.blogspot.com
https://teddylynn.wordpress.com

© 2016 Teddy Lynn – All Rights Reserved

My books are available in paperback and digital format on Amazon @ 
https://www.amazon.com/Teddy-Lynn/e/B01MZDB6L6