Poppy fields forever! Photo by Brian Baer. Antelope Valley California Poppy California State Parks.
Option: Skip Introduction and go to Directory
Introduction
Thinking about God these days? Ever wanted God’s approval?
If one day
you find yourself
standing in front of God
(Wow! What a thought!)
do you want Him to
accept you?
You’ve got to want it
I would think that everyone wants God to accept them, to like them, right? Not! There are plenty who “don’t give a dime” about God.
That you? Or is there room in your head to consider Him worth knowing? 1
God welcomes you
“The inclusivity of salvation through Jesus is found in His statement quoted in Mark 8:34. Jesus says here:
So yes, in that sense, His invitation is inclusive.”
– Source: The Inclusive Yet Exclusive Salvation of Jesus
Jesus clarifies what it means to “come” to Him. It involves deny/take-up/follow me. Salvation will cost you.
“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
– Mark 8:34 KJV and Luke 12:8 2
According to the Bible, God is easy, light-handed and gentle. He is the gentle Shepherd. Imagine Him that way.
The perfect Shepherd. Matthew 11:29-30. PIC by pixabay.
Getting saved is simple. It’s extremely specific, but not a big burden to take-on.
“For My yoke is easy [to bear]
and My burden is light.”
– Verse 30 of Matthew 11:29-30 AMP
God instantly gives you all the privileges of a Child of the King! Imagine that! (Some “privileges” will be realized just beyond the veil, however.) The entire universe will be free to roam about as we please. What will it be like!? What will we be like?
See: | Children of God | About Heaven |
| What we will be like – in God’s Home Heaven |
Heaven. What’s it going to be like?
Only one Door in
Yes, we are all invited. Yahoooo! What grace. What immense mercy. God takes care of sinners! 3
However, for new arrivals, the Bible message is clearly: Heaven has only one Door in. We all equally must go through that One. Agree with God.
Makes sense to me:
God’s Kingdom – God’s Invitation
– His House – His Rules.
Going in-n-out forever
There are no open borders. Jesus Himself is that Door. But once there …the sky’s the limit! (Well, actually – there will be NO limiting skies then!) We will be going in-n-out forever!
Getting to Heaven is not a religious thing. Did you know that?
Outward religion is NOT at all what God wants from us. What God wants? He wants our all.
If you only accept
parts and pieces
of Christ’s message,
then you are not
wholly given to Christ
— and God
does not accept that.
He demands a whole faith.
He rejects incomplete surrender.
– Source: Staying Alive
The Standard is set by God
I am frightened by the standard set by God for entrance into His Kingdom, into His Family. “Few there be that find it….” It is no small thing to be forgiven by God, accepted by God, made a child of God, to finally become a member of God’s family.
Salvation by Almighty God is done by Him as we give Him our all. If we do not respond by a life given-over completely to Him, then we are fooling ourselves.
– Source: What God wants
See: God’s message to the world
…giving all of you
– for all of Him.
Nothing less
is good enough
for our Holy Holy Holy God.
He wants us to acknowledge who He is, confess that we are totally inadequate in and of ourselves to be in His Holy Presence, and accept Him as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We need His forgiveness.
Imagine sin in Heaven.
What what what? No way! Sin! Sin in God’s Holy Kingdom? What are you thinking: getting God’s holiness but KEEPING your sin?! Not a chance in Hell. You must repent.
His Salvation is exclusive
Did you know that, by nature, God limited His grace towards us, His fallen creation? In the modern sense of the term, “Salvation in Christ” is not inclusive. God does not give-out “forgiveness” to just anyone who knocks at His Door. There is a price to pay.
God has parameters set for how and who He brings through His Door. He saves. Yes. Allelujah! But He saves on His terms. We must each yield our will to Him.
– Source: The Inclusive Yet Exclusive Salvation of Jesus
Jesus requires more than mere mental assent Webster, like “Oh ya, God is good. I like Jesus.” No. Jesus is very specific. His salvation will cost you!
“…Whosoever will come after me,
let him deny himself,
and
take up his cross,
and
follow me.”
– Mark 8:34 KJV
*Directory Following is what the Bible teaches on:
* What God values
* Who God loves
* What God rejects
* Consequences of sin
* What God approves… Got God’s approval?
* How God saves sinners… Who God accepts
* What God wants
Sin caused a deep chasm between us and God.
What God values
God valued humans so much – that Jesus came down to earth to die for us. No matter who you are, you are of such great worth! He died to be able to save you.
God values honest acknowledgement of Him as God. If we do that, then we realize: He is holy and we are not. So then we see that God values honest repentance from sin.
Who God loves
God loves you, and your family, and your friends – even your enemies. He loved you so much that He died on the cross for you.
16 “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] [a]only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. – Verse 16 of John 3:14-21
God loves the one who “is concerned with pleasing God”. If you are not interested in Him, He eventually gives up on you, to let you have a “free rein” to do as you want (1 Chronicles 28:9).
“…you] were [spiritually] dead
and separated from Him
because of your transgressions and sins”
– Verse 1 of Ephesians 2:1-12
What God rejects
God rejects all sin. God has rejected us all – on the basis of sin (Romans 6:23, Isaiah 53:6). We are so “sinned-up” (tainted through and through Webster) that he requires us to get completely “born again“.
“He saves on His terms. We must each yield our will to Him.”
– Source: The Inclusive Yet Exclusive Salvation of Jesus
Nothing else will do. There is nothing salvageable in humans unless they are totally renewed, made brand new – born again by the Spirit of God.
See: | Idly sitting moments fly |
| Me, When I die…still in sin |
Consequences of sin
“The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). That death means the eternal death of Hell. What a huge consequence! You don’t want to go there! Accept Jesus. Jesus can save your soul for all eternity. Nobody else can do that!
See more about “consequences” here:
| Vile To Jesus |
| Six different types of wrath – from God |
| God is not reckless in any way |
| The Dumbass Lamb |
What God approves
Got God’s approval? You think? Or, do you know what the Bible says about it?
God approves… a sinner saved by His grace. God approves all sinners who repent and follow Him. All, without exception.
God’s grace
teaches us to reject sin
— not accept sin as normal!
I am enough. Jesus saved me. I am approved!
I have everything needed, in me, to live a godly life — because of the power of God in me… since that moment in time that God Himself made me a brand new creature inside. Same outside, new inside, for now, in my inner soul, the Holy Spirit resides in me in power. That is what happens to those who truly accept Jesus as their Savior.
– Source: I am enough (See: Why Jesus will say to some, “I don’t know you.”)
How God saves sinners
Sin has created a vast chasm (picture: Grand Canyon) between Holy God and Sinful Man. It’s no secret. We all know it innately (Romans 1:18-23). The Bible is all about God bridging that gap for us — through His perfect sacrifice.
Romans 3:23-25
“all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God”
Romans 1:18-23…Verses 19-20 “…that which is known about God is evident within them [in their inner consciousness], for God made it evident to them. 20 For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuse and without defense.“
Holy God — Sinful Man
Nobody has it together enough for God’s holy Kingdom. Absolutely nobody. Not a chance in Hell! So we need His official forgiveness – every single one of us. Every single person on earth can come to Him with sincerity and truth – to receive His free gift of salvation.
In fact, Jesus said “you must be born again”. Getting “born again” is a special act of God enacted on a repentant sinner:
If you repent and accept Him
— then He will save you
for all eternity
(from that moment forward).
Image: based on the parable of the Prodigal Son
Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son (in Luke 15:11-32) illustrates: our rebellion against Father God, the miseries of sin (in the pig pen), a repentant heart, a merciful welcoming Father, accepting Jesus, and following Him.
Who God accepts
You can’t stay in the pig pen AND return to The Father. Only those who repent of their sinfulness and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, and follow Him…
24 …are being justified [declared free of the guilt of sin, made acceptable to God, and granted eternal life] as a gift by His [precious, undeserved] [a]grace, through the redemption [the payment for our sin] which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,
25 whom God displayed publicly [before the eyes of the world] as a [life-giving] [b]sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation (propitiation) by His blood [to be received] through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness [which demands punishment for sin]….” – Romans 3:25 4
Come close to God
[with a contrite heart]
and He will come close to you.
Wash your hands, you sinners;
and purify your [unfaithful] hearts,
you double-minded [people].
– James 4:8
Freed from a righteous “God Damn”
Salvation is God’s idea, so it behooves us to listen to Him. The Bible explains His plan.
God’s equality of all peoples is that they are all equally unacceptable for His holy Kingdom. Why? Because He is the Holy Holy God Almighty. There is none like Him.
That is why we all must stop looking around for another God.
Another Way, Another God?
No. He is the One. Jesus claimed to BE God. If you reject Jesus, you reject Almighty God. And so where does that leave you?!
Since it is God that is offering us His salvation, why not listen to Him – instead of making up your own plan of eternal life?
“It’s a very simple message from God, actually – what He expects of us. His message is to all of us — us sinful, willful, rebellious, self-centered creatures. That describe you?
His simple message is in Acts 17:30-31: repent, seek after Jesus… because all the facts are plain to see.
“…He commands all people everywhere
to repent
[that is, to change their old way of thinking,
to regret their past sins, and
to seek God’s purpose for their lives],
31 because He has set a day
when He will judge the inhabited world
in righteousness
by a Man whom He has appointed
and destined for that task, and
He has provided credible proof
to everyone
by raising Him from the dead.”
– Acts 17:30-31 AMP version
– Source: This is salvation in Christ
What God wants
Making up your own idea of what God wants? That’s never going to work! What are you thinking?!
God has made His message quite clear. So if we reject His Word, the Bible, then we’ll never get it right!
Mere mud men, puny humans can’t affect eternity, can’t change God, — can’t even get off the planet before they die! How can anyone think they are a god!? Ridiculously pitiful.
Learn how God saves
God can save. We cannot. So it behooves each of us,
- from the most ignorant – to the most steeped in Bible knowledge,
- from the most ungodly – to the most religious…
…to learn how God saves. How can one get saved if one does not know that?
in whom they have not believed?
And how will they believe in Him
of whom they have not heard?
And how will they hear
without a preacher (messenger)?
– Romans 10:14
Condemned by God
Religious charismatic apostles and prophets (2 Peter 2, 1 Timothy 1:6-11, Revelation 2:2 KJV) are condemned by God – every bit as much as other sinners on God’s Sin List. He calls apostles “them which are evil”, “liars”, “them which say they are apostles, and are not”.
“…the face of the Lord
is against
them that do evil.”
– 1 Peter 3:12
These false prophets and prophets, found these days in all NAR-type churches:
* Claim it is God’s will for them to “speak their own words” as if they are the words of God Himself. That is condemned by God.
* Claim their thoughts are God’s thoughts given to them by His Spirit. So when they are “in the Spirit” they claim their thoughts are guided by His Spirit and thus their words coming out are actually God’s Words. What a crock! That is condemned by God.
That is nowhere taught anywhere in the Bible! And yet that is their interpretation. The NAR-types do it even though warning is given in the New Testament and the Old Testament (Matthew 7:21–23; 2 Thessalonians 2:9–12). That is condemned by God.
The writer of Revelation 2:2 agrees with the church of Ephesus when they call false prophets “liars”, “them which say they are apostles, and are not”:
“I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars….” – Revelation 2:2 KJV
See: | Getting into the miraculous |
| Is God restoring the offices of apostle and prophet? |
| Claiming a sin as – God’s will for you |
| Making God Speak |
| The controversy of God speaking to you directly |
| They in fact have seen nothing |
| When your prophet is wrong |
Loving the world
What comes to us from “the world” — is contrary to what comes to us from God in the Bible.
Do not love the world
[of sin that opposes God
and His precepts],
nor the things
that are in the world.
If anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father
is not in him.
– 1 John 2:15
There is a coming deception, unlike ever before. It will be so strong a deception that even those who have a deeper knowledge of God – might be fooled.
Becoming accepted by God
Like they say, “You gotta want it – to get it.” The same is true of becoming accepted by God. To be truly approved by God – you gotta want it.
Want it – to know it… God’s message to us
God is saying to us all:
Repent and
take Jesus as your Savior.
If you do this
“you will find rest
(renewal, blessed quiet)
for your souls.”
He is gentle and kind.
– Source: God is easy, light-handed, gentle
God Speaking…an interpretive reading
* Return to Introduction
Return to Directory
FOR MORE:
Since it is God that is offering us His salvation, why not listen to Him – instead of making up your own plan of eternal life?
______________
God is not distant.
God is there.
God cares about us.
“Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his saints.”
– Psalm 116:15
Jesus can save your soul for all eternity
9 The coming of the [Antichrist, the lawless] one is through the activity of Satan, [attended] with great power [all kinds of counterfeit miracles] and [deceptive] signs and false wonders [all of them lies], 10 and by unlimited seduction to evil and with all the deception of wickedness for those who are perishing, because they did not welcome the love of the truth [of the gospel] so as to be saved [they were spiritually blind, and rejected the truth that would have saved them]. 11 Because of this God will send upon them a misleading influence, [an activity of error and deception] so they will believe the lie, 12 in order that all may be judged and condemned who did not believe the truth [about their sin, and the need for salvation through Christ], but instead took pleasure in unrighteousness.
Acknowledge God and consider Him worth knowing
Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty
God is easy, light-handed, gentle
God’s grace teaches us to reject sin
Psalm 51 type repentance and salvation
God eventually gives you a free rein
Claiming a sin as – God’s will for you
Keeping sin AND getting God’s Holiness also
If I were to let sin reign in my body
It is what it is: The Bible Is God’s Word To Us
The Bible is the standard for Christian thought and practice. Not me. Not you.
The Bible is “able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation”
Does it matter – what you believe?
About False Teachings of today… A series dealing with issues of False Teachers
Keeping sin AND getting God’s Holiness also
They in fact have seen nothing
As if your mindset is protected by God
About Being Apostate… following “another gospel”
As Teachers of the Faith – Unqualified and Worthless
False prophets | A Study in the Scriptures by Diane S. Dew |
Wandering Stars. The Paganism of Bethel, Hillsong, and the NAR pt 1 | The credits go to Jeremy Sanders | March 24, 2021 | from In His Image blog | See: Statement of Faith. Also see: pt 2, pt 3, pt 4
Is Jesus’ worldview your worldview?
Worldviews and the Battle for Meaning
God’s message to the world
…giving all of you
– for all of Him.
Nothing less
is good enough
for
our Holy Holy Holy God.
Entrance Granted into the Eternal
The one-off offer Jesus makes to everyone
The Gift by His Precious, Undeserved Grace
God’s grace teaches us to reject sin
Staying Alive...
If the core of your being
rejects parts and pieces
of what Christ taught,
then you have no salvation.
Freed from a righteous “God Damn”
There is a broad road that says Heaven but goes to Hell
Who In Hell Do You Think You Are?
Want it – to know it… God’s message to us
Life’s most urgent question. Really.
How you can know you are a Christian
What God asks of us in the Bible
Flesh and blood absolutely cannot inherit the Kingdom of God
Jesus can save your soul for all eternity
The Inclusive Yet Exclusive Salvation of Jesus
Salvation and receiving the Gift of the Holy Spirit Excerpt:
So: What happens at the exact moment of salvation in Christ? 5 We are made brand new! And salvation starts with the Holy Spirit coming inside us – to permanently reside in the born again. He makes your spirit alive.
Your spiritual journey to eternal life
How you can know you are a Christian
Promises God makes about your salvation
You cannot lose what God keeps secured for us
Why Jesus will say to some, “I don’t know you.”
I am enough Excerpt: I have everything needed, in me, to live a godly life — because of the power of God in me… since that moment in time that God Himself made me a brand new creature inside. Same outside, new inside, for now, in my inner soul, the Holy Spirit resides in me in power. That is what happens to those who truly accept Jesus as their Savior.
Your “New Leaf” …once you have repented
All the privileges and rewards of a new life with Him 1 Thessalonians 1:10
Every believer’s new life in Christ *This is a series on: Ephesians 1
- Growing into our natural new life in Christ
- Every believer’s new life in Christ [Part One]
- Explaining the Basic Christian Experience [Part Two]
The tragic error many live in all their life
* Return to Introduction
* Return to Directory
Footnotes
- Still so dull? This is why the world is going crazy.
“And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing [as their Creator], God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive….”
– Verse 28 of Romans 1:28-32That is why the depraved mind is so prevalent nowadays. That is why crazy things are being done, so “improper and repulsive”.
God is releasing rebellious people from their “good conscience” and giving them the reins to run free – free from any natural inner constraints. Don’t be one of them!
See: 1 Timothy 1:5, 19, Hebrews 13:18.
– Source: Acknowledge God and consider Him worth knowing.
But “running free”, you are still a slave to sin. Not so free, is it?
- See more “whosoever” references | all in one link | or: | Revelation 22:17, Matthew 7:24, Matthew 10:32-33, Matthew 16:25, Mark 8:34-35, James 4:4.
- God is calling us to listen to Jesus’ message, or your sin will damn your soul to hell.
He loves us just as we are, sinful sinful sinful humans. However, God does ask us to repent of our sin. You most certainly don’t want to be a fake Christian, one of the many God Damned “Believers”, especially during these Apostate days of the End Times. – Source: God takes care of sinners.
- BibleGateway Footnotes:
1. Romans 3:24 ie: His favor and mercy, extended to man who can do nothing to be worthy of it. It is God’s amazing gift.
2. Romans 3:25 By laying his hands on the head of the sacrifice the person offering the sacrifice identified himself with it and through its death it became an atonement or covering for his sin. Because the unblemished sacrifice “covered” his sin it placed the person offering the sacrifice in a right relationship with God. Later under the new covenant the perfection and sacrifice of Christ would cover (atone for) the imperfection and sin of those who identified with Him and accepted Him as Savior.
- “There is a certain moment in time when everything changes, when a mere human is transformed by God into a completely different type of human. It is that life changing moment when a sinner accepts God’s free gift of forgiveness, bowing before God in repentance, acknowledging Christ as Lord of all.
That moment changes everything for that person. Nothing is the same anymore. A new creature has been born – really and truly “born again” into new life in Christ. This magic moment!” – Source: That Moment in Time.
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