Moses – Page 18 – Praying Pint

20.d. “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy”

Romans 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”

Exodus 33:19 Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

God’s mercy is not something we earn or deserve. We have done nothing or can do nothing that would obligate God to give and show mercy toward us. It is out of His love that He looks on His creation and offers mercy through Jesus Christ to all who would believe in Him. It is out of His love that mercy is given to us so that through Jesus Christ those who humbly surrender, repent, trust, and obey are promised eternal life.

Our sinful nature leads us to believe that this is how we were created, imperfect. However, we were created perfectly. In this perfection, we were created with free will. We were created with free will to continually be in the presence of God in obedience. We were created with free will to love and trust God. However, Adam, in this free will chose to disobey God. He willingly chose to disobey and our sinful nature was born into man forevermore. His disobedience gave birth to sin and separation from God. In our sinful nature, there is nothing that deserves mercy from God. Adam was made perfect but chose to be imperfect through disobedience. Since Adam, disobedience has continued to mature and manifest its self through self-worth, self-desire, self-reliance, self-gain, self-first, self-centered, self-honor, etc………. We may ask “why have you made me like this?” When in fact mankind, through Adam, we willingly chose to be like this. God is not to fault and we are without excuse. We are without any hope were it not for God’s mercy.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” God’s mercy and love demonstrated. This offer of restoration to God is because of His love and mercy toward His creation. It can never be earned by any act we attempt to do to deserve it. Jesus Christ was God’s mercy gift of Love. Adam was given free will and chose to disobey, and now God has sent His Son to redeem man by giving us the means to be made right with Him. Each person is given free will to choose to believe in this mercy gift through Jesus Christ, humbly surrendering, repenting, obeying, trusting, and believing in Him alone, not anything of self. Just as Adam had free will and chose to disobey, we have free will to either believe, trust, honor, surrender, repent, and obey, or disobey. God’s gift of mercy is nothing to take passing notice of, give lip service towards, become complacent towards, or neglect. Eternity in heaven or eternity in hell awaits us all and we have been given free will to choose.

19.m. “Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin”

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sin came into the world through Adam. Adam chose to disobey God. He willingly chose to reject what God had said. Through this single act of disobedience, sin and death came into the world. We look at the pandemic around the world and we know the death rate is 1.4% of those who get infected. This means there is a 98.6% chance of survival. Those are pretty good odds of living. The death rate of “sin” is 100%. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Our sin infection will result in death. It is an absolute certainty. The urgency for a remedy, treatment, or cure that resulted because of COVID is not uncommon because there is a fear of untimely death. Think about the urgency given to an infection that has a 98.6% survival rate. Does that make any sense at all? Think about the certainty of death because of sin, 100%. When you consider the difference in magnitude of a 100% death rate compared to a 1.4% death rate, you have to wonder or be curious why there is so much urgency over a 1.4% death rate and little to no urgency given by many over the absolute certainty of death because of sin. Experts are not certain of the infection rate of COVID, but the certainty of the infection of sin and resulting death are both 100%.

Governments, businesses, and people have invested hundreds of billions of dollars to find a cure for an infection that has a 1.4% chance of resulting in death. Paul is explaining, to the Roman Christians that every single person is infected with sin. There is no escaping it and this infection will, with 100% absolute assurance, result in death.

Physical death will usher us into eternity. God’s word says all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The penalty of sin is death and the verdict of eternity in Hell. It does not matter how you die – all will die. What truly matters is where you will spend eternity. Many think that we live, we die, that is the end and there is nothing more. They believe the lie that this life on earth is all there is and it is over. Chapters 1-2 make it clear that God is real and that there is more to life after death and that we will be judged. Denying and rejecting God does not make it so – it is 100% certain. Denying and rejecting the coming judgment does not make it so – it is 100% certain.

What is a person to do? There is a 100% assurance of sin infection at birth. There is a 100% assurance of death because of sin. There is 100% assurance of going to hell because of sin. What will you do? There is a remedy given by God through Jesus Christ, that not only cancels the judgment of eternity in hell but removes all of the stains of sin before God’s eyes. Our sin is washed away.

When a safe vaccine is given that has been proven to protect and prevent us from getting a disease the only way you are protected is when you take the vaccine. Likewise, the only way your sin is washed clean and eternal life in heaven is assured is when you take hold of the free gift of grace mercy, and love by believing you are sin infected at birth, the result of this is death and eternity in hell, there is nothing humanly possible to overcome sin or the judgment of God, that God sent His Son to remedy (pay the price) your sin and the verdict of eternity in hell, repenting of sin, seeking forgiveness, and that by believing (trusting in, relying on, and clinging to) Jesus Christ by faith. There is no hope of protection from disease when the vaccine is not taken and yet many think there is hope over God’s judgment by denying it will happen or that they will be good enough to overcome it. There is only one way to overcome the disease of sin – Jesus Christ.

18.o. “But I chose you and appointed you”

John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.

Acts 22:14     And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth;

Romans 9:11-16     though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—  she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”  As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”  What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means!  For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”  So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

Ephesians 2:10    For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

“We are in Christ, not because we hold Him, but because He holds us.” (Meyer)

Ye have not chosen me – The word here translated “chosen” is that from which is derived the word “elect,” and means the same thing. It is frequently thus translated, Mark 13:20; Matthew 24:22, Matthew 24:24, Matthew 24:31; Colossians 3:12. It refers here, doubtless, to his choosing or electing them to be apostles. He says that it was not because they had chosen him to be their teacher and guide, but because he had designated them to be his apostles. See John 6:70; also Matthew 4:18-22. He thus shows them that his love for them was pure and disinterested; that it commenced when they had no affection for him; that it was not a matter of obligation on his part, and that therefore it placed them under more tender and sacred obligations to be entirely devoted to his service. The same may be said of all who are endowed with talents of any kind, or raised to any office in the church or the state. It is not that they have originated these talents, or laid God under obligation. What they have they owe to his sovereign goodness, and they are bound to devote all to his service. Equally true is this of all Christians. It was not that by nature they were more inclined than others to seek God, or that they had any native goodness to recommend them to him, but it was because he graciously inclined them by his Holy Spirit to seek him; because, “The grace of Christ moved and directed them;” that is, went before them, commenced the work of their personal salvation, and thus God in sovereign mercy chose them as His own. Whatever Christians, then, possess, they owe to God, and by the most tender and sacred ties they are bound to be his followers. (Barnes)

16.r. “Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.”

John 9:24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.

John 9:30 The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes.

John 9:39  Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”

2 Corinthians 4:4-6   In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.  For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 6:9   And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.

2 Thessalonians 2:9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

The man born blind showed a simple and profound wisdom in his back-and-forth with the esteemed and educated religious leaders. If they kept asking the same question, they would keep hearing the same answer. The healed man said this about their unbelief, not about the miracle of Jesus. It was if he told the religious leaders, “Your unbelief and ignorance in the face of the evidence is more of a miracle than my cure.”

For judgment I have come into this world: John recorded these words of Jesus as part of a larger theme in his Gospel – that men were divided over Jesus, with some accepting and some rejecting. This is one way Jesus brought judgment…into this world, by being a dividing line. In this sense, Jesus is like the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains; a single place where an entire path is decided. Jesus is “the pivot on which human destiny turns.” (Tenney) That those who do not see may see: Those who admit their spiritual blindness can find sight in Jesus. But those who see may be made blind – that is, those who falsely claim to have spiritual sight will be made blind. Jesus used blindness in a spiritual, metaphorical sense – of those who cannot see the light and truth of God, especially as it is revealed in Jesus Christ. One may say that this entire chapter paints a picture of how Jesus heals blind souls. There is a great difference between the one who is blind and knows it, and the one who simply shuts his eyes. “To b so self-deceived as to shut one’s eyes to the light is a desperate state to be in: the light is there, but if people refuse to avail themselves of it but rather deliberately reject it, how can they be enlightened? As Jesus said, their sin remains.” (Bruce)

16.a. “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

John 7:21 Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well? Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

Deuteronomy 1:16-17    And I charged your judges at that time, ‘Hear the cases between your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the alien who is with him.  You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’

Proverbs 17:15    He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD.

Isaiah 11:3-4    And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,  but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

James 2:9     But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

Jesus had healed a cripple who had been an invalid for 38 years. He did this on the Sabbath and the Jewish leaders immediately told the healed man that it was unlawful for him to carry the mat he had been laying on. Jesus brings this up when the Jewish leadership was wondering how Jesus had learning when He had never studied. He tells them that they marvel at this act and then proceeds to tell them that they are not seeing scripture with understanding. It was man-made laws and traditions that resulted in them thinking that healing a cripple on the Sabbath was breaking the law. “Judge with right judgment.” We are all guilty of wrongly judging some on or something. We judge by the action and not the intent. We judge the guy or gal in the car that is going to slow or cuts us off and have no idea what might have distracted that person. Did they just get a phone call with very bad news? Are they heading to the hospital to see someone who is dying? We just don’t know but we judge them guilty of intentionally doing this to us. There are thousands of other examples of how we judge others and much of the time we are judging without the love of God in our hearts and mind. We need to be mindful of how critically we look at others. Maybe it would be good for us to look into the mirror and ask ourselves if we would like to be judged by others the way we judge them. I wonder if we ever take the time to ask God to reveal our true heart to us and seek the Holy Spirit’s to lead us into this insight. We stand before God through Jesus Christ alone. We did nothing to deserve this grace and mercy. And yet, we go about judging others as if we were deserving of redemption, salvation, and forgiveness. When you are humble in thoughts and actions you will find the spirit of Judging will find no place in your heart, mind, and soul

15.v. “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”

John 6:14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

Deuteronomy 18:15-18 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ And the LORD said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.

Acts 3:22-24 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days.

This crowd was willing to support Jesus so long as He gave them what they wanted – bread. It’s easy to criticize how the crowd loved Jesus for the bread He gave them, but we often only love Jesus for what He gives us. We must also love and obey Him simply for who He is – Lord and God. They saw an opportunity through Jesus. imagine five thousand people show up at a park, who are hungry and you want to feed them. Even if you had the means how long would it take to arrange this and supply food for the people? Jesus did this immediately. They saw the miracle He had just performed feeding so many. If He was able to do this, He is a “Prophet from God” and we should make Him King. They wanted to make Him king so that their lives would no longer be subjected to Roman rule. They possibly thought that they would never have to work for food again. He would supply it just like God had supplied mana and quail in the wilderness. It is also possible that they thought if He was able to do this then making Him King would surely make their life much easier and less harsh. They would honor Him for what they could get from Him and not for who He was.

It is the same throughout history. There are shallow commitments to Jesus Christ because He is seen as a supplier of worldly stuff to satisfy the flesh rather than the Holy Redeemer and overflowing satisfier of the soul. It is right to come to Jesus in full surrender and live to humbly serve, honor, glorify, worship, follow, trust, and obey Him. Out of this commitment deep within our soul, we can come to Him with a purity of heart for our earthly needs. In this purity, our requests leave room for the perfect will of God in complete trust of His everlasting love for us.

15.s. “But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?””

ohn 5:45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

Romans 2:17-29 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness0 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

Romans 3:19-20 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Jesus did not call these religious leaders to a new or a different faith. He called them to believe what Moses, what the Scriptures, what His works, what John the Baptist each testified about Jesus: that He is the Messiah, the Son of God and God the Son. If they refused to believe this overwhelming testimony, it was unlikely they would believe Jesus’ own words. It is hard in this flesh to rely on faith. We always seem to want to add something to it to make ourselves more right with God. The fact remains though, that faith alone in Jesus is what makes us right before God. In and through faith in Him we have been cleansed from our sin. We have been born again. We are a child of God. There is nothing we could have done to earn this adoption into His family. It is only through faith in Jesus Christ that we have been brought from death to life. In this new life, our works should bring honor, glory, and praise to Jesus Christ. In this new life, our actions and words should be directing people to give glory, honor, and praise to Jesus. In this new life, we find purpose and satisfaction in humbly serving and honoring Jesus Christ. In this new life, obedience is not an obligation but rather a desire. In this new life, we seek to know and do His perfect will. In this new life, our trust and reliance never stop growing, “UNLESS” neglect and complacency have found root in our hearts and minds.

14.z. “So must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”

John 3:13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

Proverbs 30:4     Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you know!

Ephesians 4:9     (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?

Numbers 21:7-9    And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.  And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.”  So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

2 Kings 18:4   He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).

John 8:28     So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.

John 12:32-34    And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

Jesus “makes it clear that He can speak authoritatively about things in heaven, though no one else can.” Jesus made a remarkable statement, explaining that the serpent of Numbers 21:4-9 was a picture of the Messiah and His work. The people were saved not by doing anything, but by simply looking to the bronze serpent. They had to trust that something as seemingly foolish as looking at such a thing would be sufficient to save them, and surely, some perished because they thought it too foolish to do such a thing. As it says in Isaiah 45:22: Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. We might be willing to do a hundred things to earn our salvation, but God commands us to only trust in Him – to look to Him. “Nicodemus had failed to grasp the teaching about the new birth when it was presented to him in terms drawn from Ezekiel’s prophecy; now it is presented to him by means of an object-lesson, from a story with which he had been familiar since childhood.” Belief consists of accepting something, not doing something. When the disciples asked Jesus what work of God they must do, He replied; “Believe in the one He has sent”. When Paul was asked by the jailer “What must I do to be saved?”, Paul replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ”.

To those who know they are perishing, they seek help and redemption from that which is causing it. Like a breath of air to the drowning. Like a physician’s healing to the sick. Like water to those on fire. Like food to the starving. Like the Israelites bitten by fiery serpents. Like Jesus Christ to the sinner. Unless the person realizes they are in need or realizes there is a need, they will not be seeking help and redemption from that which is causing it. The drowning man can’t breathe, the sick person is feeling bad, the person on fire feels the pain of burning, the starving are hungry, and the Israelites were dying from snake bites, these all felt the physical pain and realized the need for help and redemption. The pain of sin, when realized, is more than physical pain, it is soul-deep and affects the entire body, heart, mind, and soul. When is sin pain realized? When the heart, mind, and soul are exposed to the Word of God and His Holiness. Many are walking around with their soul drowning in their sin but do not seek the breath of air found in Jesus Christ. Many are walking around with their soul-sick in the sin but do not seek the Great Physician, Jesus Christ. Many are walking around with their soul burning from sin but do not seek the living water of Jesus Christ. Many are walking around with their soul starving in sin but do no seek the bread of life found in Jesus Christ. The need for Jesus Christ is more urgent than anything in this world. Just because others do not believe you are drawing, on fire, sick, and starving does not make it true. Seek God’s Word and allow it to lead and guide your heart and mind and soul.

14.t. “How do you know me?”

John 1:43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Jesus found Philip. Would this indicate that Jesus was looking for him, or that Jesus came upon him, or that Jesus tracked him down? This is Jesus the Son of God and I am sure He knew exactly where Philip was. Philip, like Andrew, followed and told someone else. Philip tells Nathanael “we have found Him” and then tells him who they have found, “Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph”. The one who Moses in the Law and the prophets wrote. It would appear that Nathanael is a bit of a cynic. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Note that Philip did not argue with Nathanael, he just said come and see. A good point for us to remember is that it is Jesus who will soften the heart and open the eyes not us. We share but at no time is a person coming to Christ a result of us, it is all of God and His calling. The fact that we shared is actually the direct result of the Holy Spirit of God working through us. Never us, never about us, and never to be claimed by us.

Somewhere in this calling, softening, and eye-opening a person either responds to the Gospel or rejects it. I can tell you this is a mystery to me. I had heard the gospel for over a year but never had an understanding in my heart or have my eyes opened. Then, one special day a neighbor across the street who we hardly knew invited us (my wife and I) to hear an evangelist speak. It was a Thursday night 22 March 1979. On that day my heart understood the need for forgiveness, redemption, and salvation. My eyes were wide open and when the offer to come to meet Jesus at the altar was given. I could not say no. There was no way to say no. No, was not even a thought. It was as if I had no choice. I did not even have to think about it. It was more like having a severe cut to your jugular vein and a doctor being present and asking if you want to be saved. You don’t give any thought to saying no. The urgency in responding yes to be saved left no room for that thought at all.

I am sure there are those who Jesus has softened their heart to understand and has opened their eyes but they do choose to not believe the urgency of their impending eternal death and separation from God. This is a big mystery to me. I could not have said no and yet there are others who easily say it. I am not sure how many times a person will be allowed to reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Could it be once or 1,000 times? Some hearts are softened and other hardened – this I do not understand. I am sure the more times the offer of salvation is rejected the easier it is to reject the offer the next time. I guess this is why Jesus said narrow is the path the eternal life and broad is the highway to hell.

It is up to us to share the Gospel. It is up to us to speak of Jesus Christ, forgiveness, redemption, salvation, and repentance. It is up to us to live and speak in such a way that people see Jesus. It is up to us to honor, glorify, worship, follow, trust, and obey Jesus. Be a willing servant to be used and led by Jesus and allow Him to do the work of softening or hardening. Our task is to say “Come see Jesus”

14.m. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Revelation 19:13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active,

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” What is this Word? We know the Word was there in the beginning with God. We know the Word was God. We know all things were made through Him. Jesus said in John 10:30 “I and My Father are one”. The Word is Jesus Christ. Jesus was with God prior to creation. Jesus is eternal. Why would the Creator take on the form of a servant and allow being rejected, despised, beaten, and crucified? There is no other reason than Love. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Out of love, He chose to redeem, forgive, and restore all of the lost souls who would believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He alone is the one and only true path/way to eternal life in heaven. Not because they are good enough or have done enough good but because they believed the opposite in and of themselves. Their minds and souls were awakened to their sinful nature and the Holiness of Jesus Christ. There is no amount of good works that can bridge this gap between sin and holiness besides Jesus Christ. In simple terms, they surrendered to this fact and wholly trusted in Jesus Christ alone. In this surrender and trust, they were forgiven, redeemed, and promised eternal life. The life they live now is, or at least should be, in humbler service, honor, obedience, and faith to the only one worthy, Jesus Christ. The Creator did not redeem us to be critical of each other but to love one another, to build one another up, to encourage one another, to help one another, to pray for one another, and to worship, glorify, and praise Jesus Christ together. There ought to be no room in our hearts, minds, and souls for anything other than our love, trust, and obedience to Jesus Christ.