God Is
"In the beginning God..." are the first words in the Bible (Genesis 1:1). Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
Psalm 53: 1 says, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God..." Just because most religions and clergy turn you off is no excuse for not believing that which is obvious - that Someone created everything.
"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:" Romans 1:20
It is your responsibility to seek the truth in spite of the flakes and phoneys. There are companies that sell junk food, but do you refuse to eat food at all because of the flakes and phoneys in the "food" industry? Of course not!
Besides, while all the evolutionists claim that everything evolved over time, they have no explanation for how emotions evolved (where did love or hope come from?) or how the laws of nature evolved. In fact their "models" are built on the assumption that there were already laws of nature in place and working.
Believing that God is, is the foundation for all other knowledge. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." Proverbs 1:7
Psalm 53: 1 says, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God..." Just because most religions and clergy turn you off is no excuse for not believing that which is obvious - that Someone created everything.
"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:" Romans 1:20
It is your responsibility to seek the truth in spite of the flakes and phoneys. There are companies that sell junk food, but do you refuse to eat food at all because of the flakes and phoneys in the "food" industry? Of course not!
Besides, while all the evolutionists claim that everything evolved over time, they have no explanation for how emotions evolved (where did love or hope come from?) or how the laws of nature evolved. In fact their "models" are built on the assumption that there were already laws of nature in place and working.
Believing that God is, is the foundation for all other knowledge. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." Proverbs 1:7
God Created Man
There are only three possible explanations for how man came to be. Either forces of nature worked to bring about something that brought about something (repeat millions of times over billions of years) that eventually resulted in man being what we are today (evolution), or some alien creatures captured some other alien creatures and put them on this planet, or God created man.
I won't waste any time on the middle explanation ( I just made it up as a separate possibility to take the sting out of the sharp conflict between evolutionists and Bible-believers.)
For forces of nature to bring about an evolutionary process that would lead to life being created and then developing into man presupposes that forces exist on their own and that they always work according to reliable principles or (hold your breath) laws!
However, this presupposes two things. It presupposes force, which begs the question, "Where did the force come from?"; and it presupposes something for the force to act upon, which begs the question, "Where did the something come from?" You cannot presuppose anything unless what is presupposed has the characteristics or complimentary things necessary to support the presupposition. For example, you have to presuppose forces of nature have something on which to apply their force or they are not a force at all. Can you put pressure on anything if there is nothing to press? And how could there even be nature if there is nothing but force? Nothing cannot bring about anything because it has nothing in itself to produce anything. Nothing is nothing!
Also, nature is not natural when there is nothing. It only natural for nothing to remain nothing. For nothing to become something would be supernatural, which leads us right to the point the God-deniers work so hard to avoid!
God, on the other hand, can bring about anything He wants if He is an all-powerful, all-knowing and omnipresent God. He then becomes the source of everything.
Speaking of laws...
If you think laws come from nothing, ask any legislator. He'll probably take umbrage at the idea. They may not write the laws themselves (some lawyers they owe favors to usually do), but they will insist that there is a law writer.
So that alone throws a monkey wrench in the whole theory of evolution.
Isn't it interesting, that you never hear about how virtues evolved? Where did love come from? What about humor? Compassion? Interest? Curiosity? These are things that don't evolve and cannot evolve without people. People either display them or they don't.
Additionally, no one in their right mind would ever say that a painting came about without a painter, a seven course meal without a chef, a watch without a watchmaker, a stuffed animal without a taxidermist or one skilled in taxidermy, and yet evolutionists want us to believe in a living animal that came by chance?
Certainly, not only is God an austere God, but He also has a sense of humor. He said in Psalm 54:1, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God..."
The God who made everything and then gave us His Word so we could know Him, says that those who say He does not exist are fools.
So without further ado, let's take the wise road and believe that God made man. Here's His testimony:
Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Then in verse 26, the Bible says, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..." Verse 27 concludes, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."
God gives us more details in Genesis 2:7, "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."
Notice God does not say man became a living creature, but a living soul. It is not necessary to say a living body, it is a given that man had a body since the breath of God clearly went into his nostrils; the important thing God wants us to see is that he became a living soul. Your soul is more important to God than your body. It ought to be more important to you as well. It certainly is to us!
"And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed." (Genesis 2:8) I love this! First, God planted a garden. He didn't just put Adam in the wild jungle. He made everything Adam needed close by. God is good, thoughtful and caring! Second, notice that God formed Adam of the dust of the ground (verse 7), then He planted a garden eastward in Eden; then the Bible says, there He put the man. Where was Adam while God was planting the garden? Probably in His hand, watching! It must have been wonderful!
I won't waste any time on the middle explanation ( I just made it up as a separate possibility to take the sting out of the sharp conflict between evolutionists and Bible-believers.)
For forces of nature to bring about an evolutionary process that would lead to life being created and then developing into man presupposes that forces exist on their own and that they always work according to reliable principles or (hold your breath) laws!
However, this presupposes two things. It presupposes force, which begs the question, "Where did the force come from?"; and it presupposes something for the force to act upon, which begs the question, "Where did the something come from?" You cannot presuppose anything unless what is presupposed has the characteristics or complimentary things necessary to support the presupposition. For example, you have to presuppose forces of nature have something on which to apply their force or they are not a force at all. Can you put pressure on anything if there is nothing to press? And how could there even be nature if there is nothing but force? Nothing cannot bring about anything because it has nothing in itself to produce anything. Nothing is nothing!
Also, nature is not natural when there is nothing. It only natural for nothing to remain nothing. For nothing to become something would be supernatural, which leads us right to the point the God-deniers work so hard to avoid!
God, on the other hand, can bring about anything He wants if He is an all-powerful, all-knowing and omnipresent God. He then becomes the source of everything.
Speaking of laws...
If you think laws come from nothing, ask any legislator. He'll probably take umbrage at the idea. They may not write the laws themselves (some lawyers they owe favors to usually do), but they will insist that there is a law writer.
So that alone throws a monkey wrench in the whole theory of evolution.
Isn't it interesting, that you never hear about how virtues evolved? Where did love come from? What about humor? Compassion? Interest? Curiosity? These are things that don't evolve and cannot evolve without people. People either display them or they don't.
Additionally, no one in their right mind would ever say that a painting came about without a painter, a seven course meal without a chef, a watch without a watchmaker, a stuffed animal without a taxidermist or one skilled in taxidermy, and yet evolutionists want us to believe in a living animal that came by chance?
Certainly, not only is God an austere God, but He also has a sense of humor. He said in Psalm 54:1, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God..."
The God who made everything and then gave us His Word so we could know Him, says that those who say He does not exist are fools.
So without further ado, let's take the wise road and believe that God made man. Here's His testimony:
Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Then in verse 26, the Bible says, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..." Verse 27 concludes, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."
God gives us more details in Genesis 2:7, "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."
Notice God does not say man became a living creature, but a living soul. It is not necessary to say a living body, it is a given that man had a body since the breath of God clearly went into his nostrils; the important thing God wants us to see is that he became a living soul. Your soul is more important to God than your body. It ought to be more important to you as well. It certainly is to us!
"And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed." (Genesis 2:8) I love this! First, God planted a garden. He didn't just put Adam in the wild jungle. He made everything Adam needed close by. God is good, thoughtful and caring! Second, notice that God formed Adam of the dust of the ground (verse 7), then He planted a garden eastward in Eden; then the Bible says, there He put the man. Where was Adam while God was planting the garden? Probably in His hand, watching! It must have been wonderful!
God Gave Man a Law
Genesis 2:15 says, "And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." There's the purpose for Adam being in the garden. But purpose and law are not the same. Here's the first law God gave to man:
Gen 2:16-17 "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
Here is the first law mentioned in the Bible. Laws are not needed in an environment where people can do whatever they want and all they want to do is right. It is only when there are people who want to do wrong that laws become necessary.
Some things you need to know about laws:
Notice that these characteristics are all found in the first law God gave to Adam in the garden.
The reason God gave the law beside to protect them was to test them. God needed to test their willingness to obey Him out of gratitude for His many blessings and for continued fellowship. This only makes sense in light of the fact that when man makes a product, he puts it through vigorous tests, especially if he is going to sell the product.
Gen 2:16-17 "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
Here is the first law mentioned in the Bible. Laws are not needed in an environment where people can do whatever they want and all they want to do is right. It is only when there are people who want to do wrong that laws become necessary.
Some things you need to know about laws:
- They must be needed to protect something, either your life, your property, your liberty, or a God-given right.
- They must be good. Bad laws have no right to exist.
- They must be right. Wrong and law just don't mix.
- They must have a consequence. If there is no consequence there is no deterrent to those who would in any way do you harm.
- They must be enforceable. What good is a law that is not enforceable?
Notice that these characteristics are all found in the first law God gave to Adam in the garden.
- The law was given to protect man from knowing good and evil, so he could remain innocent.
- It was a good law. Just notice how everyone loves the innocence of a little baby. It's good to not know evil in a perfect world.
- It was a right law. Man had no need to know such things in paradise, so it was right to have a law that would help keep it that way.
- The consequence was death.
- It was enforceable. God has power to judge; to give life and to take it.
The reason God gave the law beside to protect them was to test them. God needed to test their willingness to obey Him out of gratitude for His many blessings and for continued fellowship. This only makes sense in light of the fact that when man makes a product, he puts it through vigorous tests, especially if he is going to sell the product.
Man Messed Up
For love to be known and enjoyed, it must be tested before it is reciprocated or else it has no depth of meaning. So, God allowed Satan to tempt man.
He went for the weaker vessel, Eve. She was not there when God gave the law to Adam. She only heard it "second-hand". Satan exploited that fact as a weakness and deceived her. (Genesis 3:1-6) He used her desire to be like God to lure her into disobedience to the very God she loved.
She in turn tempted her husband.
Adam, not wanting her to suffer death alone joined her willingly. But this caused sin to enter into the world... and consequently, death.
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Death is the automatic consequence of sin. This is further born out in several other scriptures, such as Romans 6:23 and Ezekiel 18:4,20.
This changed everything! Corruption has infected God's creation via the free will of man. And since everything God created reproduced after its kind, man will now reproduce sinners. That's why we are all born sinners. This is confirmed by David's confession in Psalm 51:
Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
He went for the weaker vessel, Eve. She was not there when God gave the law to Adam. She only heard it "second-hand". Satan exploited that fact as a weakness and deceived her. (Genesis 3:1-6) He used her desire to be like God to lure her into disobedience to the very God she loved.
She in turn tempted her husband.
Adam, not wanting her to suffer death alone joined her willingly. But this caused sin to enter into the world... and consequently, death.
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Death is the automatic consequence of sin. This is further born out in several other scriptures, such as Romans 6:23 and Ezekiel 18:4,20.
This changed everything! Corruption has infected God's creation via the free will of man. And since everything God created reproduced after its kind, man will now reproduce sinners. That's why we are all born sinners. This is confirmed by David's confession in Psalm 51:
Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
The Consequences of Man's Mess-Up
The consequences of man's sin are so misunderstood by skeptics. Their skepticism colors the glasses through which they see everything. Skeptics are proud and arrogant. They have no solutions, yet they have the audacity to criticize. So don't allow yourself to become a skeptic. Question everything because you want the truth, not because you want to stir things up. Desire and seek truth with a sincere heart. God will reward you according to your intent.
The bottom line of the consequences of man's sin is death. The Bible says, "the wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23a) [The letter a or b after a verse reference indicates the first or secong phrase of a verse, respectively.]
The fact that you do not know of anyone who is 200 years old today is a tesament to the truth of that scripture. Even though before the flood of Noah's day people lived over 900 years, they still died.
As mentioned above, the Bible also says in Romans 5:12, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."
Death is the natural consequence of sin.
But...
There is more than one death! The Bible says there is a second death. The fact that there is a second death tells us there is a first death. Obviously, the death of the body, which we see often in our lifetime, is the first death.
So what is the second death?
Here's your answer:
Revelation 20:11-15 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
This is confirmed in another scripture verse:
Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
In short, because we have all sinned, we all deserve to die and then go to hell. This is really difficult for many to believe. This is where many people stumble in unbelief. Let me assure you, people are far less shocked when they are robbed and actually become a victim of a crime than they are when they hear about hell being the place where sinners must go.
But they do not understand sin nor the holiness and purity of God. Sin is horrific to a holy God.
Also, God is infinite. He has no beginning or end of days. He is eternal. So it only makes sense that if someone sins against Him, the penalty would be an eternal penalty.
In our societies, which are all made up of finite lives, we have penalties for the wrongs that are committed against others. The penalties vary in respect to the degree to which harm has been done to the victim. The ultimate price one ever pays is with his life. His whole finite life is taken from him if he has taken the whole finite life of another through force. This is called capital punishment. But what if someone is eternal, and they suffer wrongs done to them? They suffer eternally. Likewise the penalty for causing someone to suffer eternally would be an eternal penalty.
When we, who are made in the image of God, commit sins that misrepresent Him, we bring Him pain and suffering because of what we do to His reputation and what we do to others He has created and loves; and because He is infinite, we hurt Him infinitely. Therefore, the penalty we deserve to pay is an infinite penalty.
This is confirmed by the scriptures quoted above. Even lying is punishable by the second death - the lake of fire, where people are tormented day and night, for ever.
So we are in a real mess, headed for real trouble!
The question always comes: Why would God create us with the potential to end up in the lake of fire?
The bottom line of the consequences of man's sin is death. The Bible says, "the wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23a) [The letter a or b after a verse reference indicates the first or secong phrase of a verse, respectively.]
The fact that you do not know of anyone who is 200 years old today is a tesament to the truth of that scripture. Even though before the flood of Noah's day people lived over 900 years, they still died.
As mentioned above, the Bible also says in Romans 5:12, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."
Death is the natural consequence of sin.
But...
There is more than one death! The Bible says there is a second death. The fact that there is a second death tells us there is a first death. Obviously, the death of the body, which we see often in our lifetime, is the first death.
So what is the second death?
Here's your answer:
Revelation 20:11-15 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
This is confirmed in another scripture verse:
Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
In short, because we have all sinned, we all deserve to die and then go to hell. This is really difficult for many to believe. This is where many people stumble in unbelief. Let me assure you, people are far less shocked when they are robbed and actually become a victim of a crime than they are when they hear about hell being the place where sinners must go.
But they do not understand sin nor the holiness and purity of God. Sin is horrific to a holy God.
Also, God is infinite. He has no beginning or end of days. He is eternal. So it only makes sense that if someone sins against Him, the penalty would be an eternal penalty.
In our societies, which are all made up of finite lives, we have penalties for the wrongs that are committed against others. The penalties vary in respect to the degree to which harm has been done to the victim. The ultimate price one ever pays is with his life. His whole finite life is taken from him if he has taken the whole finite life of another through force. This is called capital punishment. But what if someone is eternal, and they suffer wrongs done to them? They suffer eternally. Likewise the penalty for causing someone to suffer eternally would be an eternal penalty.
When we, who are made in the image of God, commit sins that misrepresent Him, we bring Him pain and suffering because of what we do to His reputation and what we do to others He has created and loves; and because He is infinite, we hurt Him infinitely. Therefore, the penalty we deserve to pay is an infinite penalty.
This is confirmed by the scriptures quoted above. Even lying is punishable by the second death - the lake of fire, where people are tormented day and night, for ever.
So we are in a real mess, headed for real trouble!
The question always comes: Why would God create us with the potential to end up in the lake of fire?
God's Clean Up Plan for Man
That is the risk that God was willing to take. He, being wisdom personified (Proverbs 8), had reasoned this out ahead of time. Though He did not really want to deal with the possibility of man becoming corrupt and thereby deserving of His wrath for making such an evil choice in the face of such a good God, He reasoned it out that it would ultimately be better if He did, and so He offered to pay the penalty Himself for the sins man would commit. He reasoned that if He gave man free will, that He could pay for their sins and offer them forgiveness and eternal life through a quickening of the spirit of man (which died when the first sin was committed) in exchange for their faith in Him through His Word, thus providing all men the opportunity to be in a better state (sons of God by a new birth), to gain immunity to sin and to have a close friendship with Him at the same time.
God explains this very thing in the book of Romans.
Romans 8:20-21 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
So, to break this verse down, God created us with free will. But what good is free will if there are no choices to make? To make free will what it is, God had to create the opposite of good so we could choose to do good or evil.
Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
And so, God put a tree in the garden of Eden called "the tree of knowledge of good and evil".
Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
God, who subjected us to vanity, did not do so willingly, in other words, He didn't really want to make us able to sin, but He did so by reasoning it out that in the long run, it would be better, if we made the right choice. It is better to be in danger and at risk and then be delivered when we cry out for help than to never know danger at all. And He's right. We prove it every time we desire to read a novel or watch a movie about adventure and danger, or play a game that has the risk of injury (people get hurt playing tag!). What a boring life it would be if there was no risk of danger - if there was no good or evil. So He did so in hope, with no guarantee that we would make the right choice. In essence, God made it to where He had to trust man first.
To be fair to man, who had no choice in the decision to have free will and be at risk, God arranged to pay for any and all sins that man would commit. To do so He would have to suffer the full wages of sin. This would include physical death as well as the second death - the lake of fire! But to be fair, He determined to pay it all. Here is His plan:
Since God is a spirit (John 4:24), He had to take on the form of a man (flesh) so He could pay the physical part of the wages of sin. He had to die. God cannot die in the sense that we die because He is eternal. So, He took on the form of a man by being born into the lineage of man. (Not too difficult since He created man in His image.) God ordained that at the right time in history He would supernaturally put His seed in a virgin who had not known a man intimately yet, and give birth to a Son, who would be God incarnate (in flesh).
This would do two things:
1) provide for a body that could die; and,
2) provide for His blood to be made available to be offered as a sacrifice for the sins of man, to purge away our sins.
This is also revealed by the scriptures.
Hebrews 10:4,5 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
Jesus knew when He came into the world that God had provided Him with a body which He would use to pay the first part of the wages of sin - physical death. He knew He would have to shed His blood for our sins.
Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
We could never have remission of our sins unless God became flesh and shed His blood for our sins.
Hebrews 1:1-3 God, ...
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Hebrews 10:10 By the which will [God's will] we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
So Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice to pay the penalty of sin, which includes physical death.
But there is more to the price on sin than physical death. As mentioned above, the lake of fire is the place where everyone whose record in heaven shows that they have sinned (fearful, unbelieving, murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters and all liars) must go to pay for their sins.
The wonderful thing about the Lord being made flesh (Jesus Christ), is that He suffered Hell for us also. This is revealed in a prophetic passage of Psalms 16, almost 1,400 years before Jesus' birth, which God gave to prove His eternality (ability to exist in all realms of time).
Psalm 16:8-10 I have set the LORD always before me: [what man can honestly say they do that always?] because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. [what man can ever say he has never been moved from his intentions?]
9 Therefore my heart is glad, [what man would ever be glad and look forward to dying?] and my glory rejoiceth [what man can rejoice that dying for wrongdoings will make him greater in the eyes of others?]: my flesh also shall rest in hope. [hint: we put Rest In Peace on our graves]
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Though this is a psalm of David (former king of Israel who killed Goliath as a young man), it is not talking about David. Rather, David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, is giving us a conversation that takes place between God and His Son, Jesus, beyond the bounds of time, long before Jesus' birth in Bethlehem. Jesus is saying that He will trust God the Father to not leave His soul in Hell when He goes there to pay for our sins. He also trusts God to not let his body rot and decay in the grave after his body dies on the cross, but to raise Him up the third day.
This is proven by Peter's preaching on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. Peter, while preaching to a bunch of Jews who 50 days earlier had crucified the Lord Jesus, quotes Psalm 16:8-10, saying,
Act 2:22-27,29-36 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
25 For David speaketh concerning him, [Here's the quote from Psalm 16] I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. [Skipped verse 28 for sake of space.]
29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul [Christ's soul] was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption [no decay].
32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
As the risen Lord, Jesus showed He has power over life and death. He has the right and the power to determine whose soul He saves. He has the power to purge away our sins. If our sins get purged, there will be no record of them in heaven. If there is no record, there can be no condemnation or judgment for sins that are not on the record.
As evidenced throughout this article, All this is made known to us through God's Word, which leads us to the next important truth.
God explains this very thing in the book of Romans.
Romans 8:20-21 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
So, to break this verse down, God created us with free will. But what good is free will if there are no choices to make? To make free will what it is, God had to create the opposite of good so we could choose to do good or evil.
Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
And so, God put a tree in the garden of Eden called "the tree of knowledge of good and evil".
Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
God, who subjected us to vanity, did not do so willingly, in other words, He didn't really want to make us able to sin, but He did so by reasoning it out that in the long run, it would be better, if we made the right choice. It is better to be in danger and at risk and then be delivered when we cry out for help than to never know danger at all. And He's right. We prove it every time we desire to read a novel or watch a movie about adventure and danger, or play a game that has the risk of injury (people get hurt playing tag!). What a boring life it would be if there was no risk of danger - if there was no good or evil. So He did so in hope, with no guarantee that we would make the right choice. In essence, God made it to where He had to trust man first.
To be fair to man, who had no choice in the decision to have free will and be at risk, God arranged to pay for any and all sins that man would commit. To do so He would have to suffer the full wages of sin. This would include physical death as well as the second death - the lake of fire! But to be fair, He determined to pay it all. Here is His plan:
Since God is a spirit (John 4:24), He had to take on the form of a man (flesh) so He could pay the physical part of the wages of sin. He had to die. God cannot die in the sense that we die because He is eternal. So, He took on the form of a man by being born into the lineage of man. (Not too difficult since He created man in His image.) God ordained that at the right time in history He would supernaturally put His seed in a virgin who had not known a man intimately yet, and give birth to a Son, who would be God incarnate (in flesh).
This would do two things:
1) provide for a body that could die; and,
2) provide for His blood to be made available to be offered as a sacrifice for the sins of man, to purge away our sins.
This is also revealed by the scriptures.
Hebrews 10:4,5 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
Jesus knew when He came into the world that God had provided Him with a body which He would use to pay the first part of the wages of sin - physical death. He knew He would have to shed His blood for our sins.
Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
We could never have remission of our sins unless God became flesh and shed His blood for our sins.
Hebrews 1:1-3 God, ...
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Hebrews 10:10 By the which will [God's will] we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
So Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice to pay the penalty of sin, which includes physical death.
But there is more to the price on sin than physical death. As mentioned above, the lake of fire is the place where everyone whose record in heaven shows that they have sinned (fearful, unbelieving, murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters and all liars) must go to pay for their sins.
The wonderful thing about the Lord being made flesh (Jesus Christ), is that He suffered Hell for us also. This is revealed in a prophetic passage of Psalms 16, almost 1,400 years before Jesus' birth, which God gave to prove His eternality (ability to exist in all realms of time).
Psalm 16:8-10 I have set the LORD always before me: [what man can honestly say they do that always?] because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. [what man can ever say he has never been moved from his intentions?]
9 Therefore my heart is glad, [what man would ever be glad and look forward to dying?] and my glory rejoiceth [what man can rejoice that dying for wrongdoings will make him greater in the eyes of others?]: my flesh also shall rest in hope. [hint: we put Rest In Peace on our graves]
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Though this is a psalm of David (former king of Israel who killed Goliath as a young man), it is not talking about David. Rather, David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, is giving us a conversation that takes place between God and His Son, Jesus, beyond the bounds of time, long before Jesus' birth in Bethlehem. Jesus is saying that He will trust God the Father to not leave His soul in Hell when He goes there to pay for our sins. He also trusts God to not let his body rot and decay in the grave after his body dies on the cross, but to raise Him up the third day.
This is proven by Peter's preaching on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. Peter, while preaching to a bunch of Jews who 50 days earlier had crucified the Lord Jesus, quotes Psalm 16:8-10, saying,
Act 2:22-27,29-36 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
25 For David speaketh concerning him, [Here's the quote from Psalm 16] I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. [Skipped verse 28 for sake of space.]
29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul [Christ's soul] was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption [no decay].
32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
As the risen Lord, Jesus showed He has power over life and death. He has the right and the power to determine whose soul He saves. He has the power to purge away our sins. If our sins get purged, there will be no record of them in heaven. If there is no record, there can be no condemnation or judgment for sins that are not on the record.
As evidenced throughout this article, All this is made known to us through God's Word, which leads us to the next important truth.
God Gave Us His Word
Psalm 68:11 The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.
Because we were made subject to vanity, God foresaw that some people would be so vain and evil that they would try to require everyone to believe whatever they say, in other words, lord it over everyone else. History is full of examples of that occurring in the past, and it is still going on today in most of the world. He did not want us to be victims, without remedy, of any tyrant or religious organization, so God gave us His Word, as a tool for freedom and liberty. "[W]here the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (2 Corinthians 3:17)
The most important freedom is the freedom of choice and the most important liberty is the liberty to do what God wants us to do, regardless of what some tyrant or tyrannical religion dictates. To learn more about freedom and liberty, and the difference between the two, listen to the Proclaiming Liberty broadcasts.
God tells us the most important reason for why He gave us His Word.
1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
The reason God gave us His Word is so we may know that we have eternal life. This is proof of the availability of eternal life, that it is possible to know for sure that you have eternal life before you die! That much sought after fountain of youth is not a literal fountain of water (H2O), but a spiritual fountain, that we must drink of (swallow, believe). Eternal life is something that all creation, especially mankind longs for. And God has made a promise regarding it.
Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
The hope of eternal life is based on a promise from God. God gave us His Word so we would have the ability to know of that promise. In His Word He said, "These things have I written unto you... that ye may know that ye have eternal life."
So, if one does not know that he has eternal life, it is because he does not know "these things" that are written.
This is confirmed in the gospel of John:
John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
The most important "things" are the things that have to do with eternal life:
1. that we do not deserve it because we are corrupted (do you save corrupted computer files, corroded batteries, rotten apples, spoiled lettuce, etc.?);
The Bible says, "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) We come short of being good enough to go to heaven.
2. that we owe a penalty for our sin;
"The wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23) And there is a second death, the lake of fire, as mentioned above.
3. that Jesus paid that penalty for all;
"But commendeth [proved, showed] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
4. that He rose from the dead, satisfying God's demand for the payment of sin (a bloody death and an eternity's worth of suffering in the Lake of Fire);
"He is risen." (Matthew 28:5-7)
Isaiah 53:10-11 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin...
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: ...for he shall bear their iniquities.
5. that He offers eternal life as a free gift to all who believe in Him - Who He is and what He did to save us from our sins.
"...the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23b)
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
(John 3:16)
"...if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus [confess that Jesus is the Lord, God made flesh], and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath
raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9)
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)
These are the "things" that God has written unto you "that ye may know that ye have eternal life."
If God did everything that He says He did to make it possible for us to have eternal life, and He has given us His Word so we can know these things, then He has one basic expectation:
Because we were made subject to vanity, God foresaw that some people would be so vain and evil that they would try to require everyone to believe whatever they say, in other words, lord it over everyone else. History is full of examples of that occurring in the past, and it is still going on today in most of the world. He did not want us to be victims, without remedy, of any tyrant or religious organization, so God gave us His Word, as a tool for freedom and liberty. "[W]here the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (2 Corinthians 3:17)
The most important freedom is the freedom of choice and the most important liberty is the liberty to do what God wants us to do, regardless of what some tyrant or tyrannical religion dictates. To learn more about freedom and liberty, and the difference between the two, listen to the Proclaiming Liberty broadcasts.
God tells us the most important reason for why He gave us His Word.
1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
The reason God gave us His Word is so we may know that we have eternal life. This is proof of the availability of eternal life, that it is possible to know for sure that you have eternal life before you die! That much sought after fountain of youth is not a literal fountain of water (H2O), but a spiritual fountain, that we must drink of (swallow, believe). Eternal life is something that all creation, especially mankind longs for. And God has made a promise regarding it.
Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
The hope of eternal life is based on a promise from God. God gave us His Word so we would have the ability to know of that promise. In His Word He said, "These things have I written unto you... that ye may know that ye have eternal life."
So, if one does not know that he has eternal life, it is because he does not know "these things" that are written.
This is confirmed in the gospel of John:
John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
The most important "things" are the things that have to do with eternal life:
1. that we do not deserve it because we are corrupted (do you save corrupted computer files, corroded batteries, rotten apples, spoiled lettuce, etc.?);
The Bible says, "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) We come short of being good enough to go to heaven.
2. that we owe a penalty for our sin;
"The wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23) And there is a second death, the lake of fire, as mentioned above.
3. that Jesus paid that penalty for all;
"But commendeth [proved, showed] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
4. that He rose from the dead, satisfying God's demand for the payment of sin (a bloody death and an eternity's worth of suffering in the Lake of Fire);
"He is risen." (Matthew 28:5-7)
Isaiah 53:10-11 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin...
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: ...for he shall bear their iniquities.
5. that He offers eternal life as a free gift to all who believe in Him - Who He is and what He did to save us from our sins.
"...the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23b)
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
(John 3:16)
"...if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus [confess that Jesus is the Lord, God made flesh], and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath
raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9)
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)
These are the "things" that God has written unto you "that ye may know that ye have eternal life."
If God did everything that He says He did to make it possible for us to have eternal life, and He has given us His Word so we can know these things, then He has one basic expectation:
God Expects Us to Believe His Word
God does not expect us to be good. He says "there is none that doeth good, no, not one." (Romans 3:12)
All He expects is for us to believe His Word.
Jesus Himself said, "that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16b)
When Paul and Silas were put in jail and beaten for preaching the gospel, they sang and rejoiced that they were counted worthy by God to suffer for His names's sake. God sent an earthquake and broke open the prison and all the chains that bound the prisoners. The jailer, fearing he would be killed for letting anyone escape, started to commit suicide. Paul called out to him and said, "Do thyself no harm, for we are all here." After getting a light and confirming everyone was still there, he "came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas... and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And Paul and Silas said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."
All this jailer needed to do to be saved was to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ! He didn't need to do any good works. He didn't need to get baptized. He didn't need to join any church. He didn't need to speak in some "unknown" tongue. He didn't need to count any beeds, or say any Hail Marys. He didn't need to keep the Sabbath. He didn't nned to go through confirmation. He didn't need Saint Christopher, or Saint Joseph or any other saint. He didn't need to be wed in a temple. He didn't need to put on any special undergarments. He didn't need to get the approval of Joseph Smith. All He needed to do do was believe on the Lord Jesus Christ! Either that or Paul and Silas were heretics and doing a great disservice to this poor, on verge of suicide, jailer.
Anyone (whosoever) who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, that He is the Lord (God made flesh as Son of God), and that He is the Christ (anointed One, Deliverer, chosen by God to be the Saviour of the world), that He was "made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death... that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."
Do you believe "these things"?
If you do, then call upon the name of the Lord. Make a moment in your life that you will never forget. God knows if you believe in Him in your heart, so tell Him you believe so you will have the memory and be able to remember that you indeed put your trust in Him; then His promise to save "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord" will give you the confidence to know that you have eternal life, because God always keeps His promises!
Just make sure you believe in the same Jesus Christ that the Scriptures describe and not a fake Jesus Christ that is described differently than how the Bible describes Him. For example, if you believe in a Jesus Christ who has to be offered again as a bloodless sacrifice for continued or recent sins, you believed in a false Christ, and God is not happy about that. Jesus made "one sacrifice for sins for ever" (Hebrews 10:12). He wants you to put away any religious idea or belief that conflicts or is in addition to what the Bible teaches and believe only what His Word says about Jesus. God expects us to believe His Word, not some religion.
If you've believed in a Jesus who had a father, who had a father, who had a father,etc., etc., or that He is the brother of Lucifer/Satan, you have believed in a false Christ.
Isaiah 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
Jesus is "the everlasting Father" (Isaiah 9:6). He is "God... manifest in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16). That's why He is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the "Holy One of Israel" He is the Creator.
Isaiah 17:7 At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 43:3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.
Psalm 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
If you don't believe His Word...
John 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
Mark 16:16b ...he that believeth not shall be damned.
John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
I hope you believe God's Word over any man's or any religion's.
These are the main truths we proclaim. There are many other truths we proclaim. You will find them in other articles on this website, but we wanted you to know these most important "things" that lead to life everlasting.
May God bless you according to your faith in Him and His Word.
Pastor Coleman
All He expects is for us to believe His Word.
Jesus Himself said, "that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16b)
When Paul and Silas were put in jail and beaten for preaching the gospel, they sang and rejoiced that they were counted worthy by God to suffer for His names's sake. God sent an earthquake and broke open the prison and all the chains that bound the prisoners. The jailer, fearing he would be killed for letting anyone escape, started to commit suicide. Paul called out to him and said, "Do thyself no harm, for we are all here." After getting a light and confirming everyone was still there, he "came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas... and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And Paul and Silas said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."
All this jailer needed to do to be saved was to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ! He didn't need to do any good works. He didn't need to get baptized. He didn't need to join any church. He didn't need to speak in some "unknown" tongue. He didn't need to count any beeds, or say any Hail Marys. He didn't need to keep the Sabbath. He didn't nned to go through confirmation. He didn't need Saint Christopher, or Saint Joseph or any other saint. He didn't need to be wed in a temple. He didn't need to put on any special undergarments. He didn't need to get the approval of Joseph Smith. All He needed to do do was believe on the Lord Jesus Christ! Either that or Paul and Silas were heretics and doing a great disservice to this poor, on verge of suicide, jailer.
Anyone (whosoever) who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, that He is the Lord (God made flesh as Son of God), and that He is the Christ (anointed One, Deliverer, chosen by God to be the Saviour of the world), that He was "made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death... that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."
Do you believe "these things"?
If you do, then call upon the name of the Lord. Make a moment in your life that you will never forget. God knows if you believe in Him in your heart, so tell Him you believe so you will have the memory and be able to remember that you indeed put your trust in Him; then His promise to save "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord" will give you the confidence to know that you have eternal life, because God always keeps His promises!
Just make sure you believe in the same Jesus Christ that the Scriptures describe and not a fake Jesus Christ that is described differently than how the Bible describes Him. For example, if you believe in a Jesus Christ who has to be offered again as a bloodless sacrifice for continued or recent sins, you believed in a false Christ, and God is not happy about that. Jesus made "one sacrifice for sins for ever" (Hebrews 10:12). He wants you to put away any religious idea or belief that conflicts or is in addition to what the Bible teaches and believe only what His Word says about Jesus. God expects us to believe His Word, not some religion.
If you've believed in a Jesus who had a father, who had a father, who had a father,etc., etc., or that He is the brother of Lucifer/Satan, you have believed in a false Christ.
Isaiah 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
Jesus is "the everlasting Father" (Isaiah 9:6). He is "God... manifest in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16). That's why He is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the "Holy One of Israel" He is the Creator.
Isaiah 17:7 At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 43:3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.
Psalm 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
If you don't believe His Word...
John 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
Mark 16:16b ...he that believeth not shall be damned.
John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
I hope you believe God's Word over any man's or any religion's.
These are the main truths we proclaim. There are many other truths we proclaim. You will find them in other articles on this website, but we wanted you to know these most important "things" that lead to life everlasting.
May God bless you according to your faith in Him and His Word.
Pastor Coleman