Though
they were once enemies with one another, they have become good friends. In
essence, that is the meaning of the big word—‘reconciliation’.
Once
we were enemies with God. We lived a life under the control of Satan. We walked
according to what our flesh and mind desired. And because we were sinful, doing
our own thing, we came under God’s wrath (Ephesians 2:1-3).
But
God took the initiative to save us from the darkness of sin. He sent Jesus to
die on the cross, taking the punishment on our behalf for our sins. God’s wrath
was placed on Christ at the cross and we are set free from blame (Romans 5:8, 1
John 4:10).
However,
the saving virtue of Christ’s death at the cross can only be applied to us if
we believe in Christ. It involves a personal decision, an act of the will. Each
person must be willing to turn away from sin and believe in Christ to save him or
her.
- “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life”(John 3:16).
- “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Furthermore, it must be stressed that believers must persevere in the faith—continue to be faithful—before they can meet God one day in heaven and spend eternity with Him (Colossians 1: 21-23). https://bit.ly/3ryqgSZ
What
this means is that we can start out well in the journey of faith but, along the
way, we can depart from the faith and miss out on the intended destination—heaven
(Hebrews 3: 12-14).
Making a decision to believe in Christ once upon a time without persevering in the faith will not bring us to heaven eventually (1Timothy 4:16).
Once we believe in Christ and persevere in the faith till the end, either upon our death or Christ’s second coming, we will be assured of a place in heaven one day.
Though we were once enemies with God on account of our sins, we have become good friends on the basis of our faith in the saving virtue of Christ’s death. As a result of our faith, God—who is righteous and cannot tolerate sin—welcomes us with open arms to our heavenly abode.
Have you made the most important decision of your life? By believing in Christ, we can become good friends with God and spend eternity with Him.
Well,
that’s reconciliation between man and God.
We have become good friends!
“No
longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is
doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father
I have made known to you” (John 15:15).
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IS SALVATION AN EVENT OR
PROCESS?
Is
salvation merely an event that happens when we make a decision to invite Christ
into our life or utter the sinner’s prayer?
JUST BELIEVE?
Believers
are saved when we trust in Christ. Does it mean that repentance and obedience
are optional?
PRESERVED FROM FALLING?
Is
there an absolute guarantee that true believers won’t fall away from the faith?
