Adoption

Posted by Branden Earp on August 25, 2014
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Saints in heavenHave you ever seen a child that was in the foster care system for years that was longing for a family to one day take them in and a loving couple or single parent brought them in their home to make them their own? This is exactly what God does when someone becomes a Christian, he adopts them into his very own family. The doctrine of adoption is simply when God makes us part of his family.

This is probably the greatest benefit to being a Christian because we inherit all of the benefits of being in God family. This blessing comes from placing your faith in Jesus, and is a separate act apart from regeneration or justification. John 1.12 says, “But to all who did receive him [Jesus], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”.

Being a child of God brings a plethora of blessings in this life and in the one to come. One of them being that we can relate to God as a good and loving father. The apostle Paul writes, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, Abba! Father!” When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he even directed them to pray to God as their own Father. This means that God will take care of our needs and loves to give us good gifts including the Holy Spirit, who leads and guide us.

And like any good parent, this also means that God disciplines his children when they continually err into sin because he loves them and wants to see them live a joy filled life. This is not sadistic child abuse but a loving father correcting the children he loves.

Being adopted as sons and daughters also means that we receive the full inheritance of eternal life as well as being able to relate to fell Christians as brothers and sisters in God’s family who will all be reunited one day. And the amazing thing about being adopted into his family is once you are his you cannot be un-adopted and never have to worry about being kicked out of God’s family, no matter the sin.

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Justification

Posted by Branden Earp on August 24, 2014
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mata_hari___courtroom_by_tamasgaspar-d6zqelrThere is a story of a Judge who had a long career of being knows for being just, honest and always making the ethical decision. One morning as he was waiting for his next hearing he sees his very own son being brought in with his feet and hands shackled together and taking a seat in front of the bar. He soon finds that his son is in fact guilty of stealing a car and for manslaughter when he struck someone on the road while he was trying to evade the police. The next instant the judge brings down the gavel and states that his son is free to go. As he is rising from his chair he begins to take his robe off and state that he would take the full penalty for his sons crime with no questions to be asked.

This is exactly what the doctrine of justification is. The moment God saves a person they are seen as legally free from sin and given Jesus’ righteousness, with Jesus taking their sin upon himself. 2 Corinthians 5.21 says, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” There is no longer a penalty for our sins, for we are both legally declared righteous, and given Christ’s righteousness.

Declared Righteous 

The Apostle in the book of Romans says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Even though in this life there may be consequences for the stupid decisions that we make (like prison, fines and possibly even loss of life), ultimately when a person is saved they are eternally declared righteous from their sins and  their lawless deeds are remembered no more.

Imputed Righteousness

Even though this is incredible, the very first thing that we would do once being declared morally neutral is mess it up. This is why Jesus also imputes to us his very righteousness or record of when he lived on this earth. When Jesus was murdered on the cross something known as “The Great Exchange” took place. Jesus was bearing the wrath and punishment of all the people on earth who would believe in him while also imparting to us his perfect life record without sin. We now have the very righteousness of God, and when God the Father looks at one of his children he sees them just as blameless as his Son Jesus.

Because of this, we can truly move on and forget the past mistakes and look forward to the future with hope.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Oxt3_nqoFo

 

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Conversion

Posted by Branden Earp on August 21, 2014
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matthias-grunewald-947266Have you ever been sick and tired of being sick and tired? Sometimes things in life seem so out of control that you feel like your drowning with no end in sight. While Jesus walked the earth he said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” What he was referring to is the true rest and peace that comes in this life through placing your faith in Jesus and becoming a Christian.

So what you do to become a Christian? The answer is absolutely nothing. Now that we have seen what God actually does do behind the scenes through election, calling, and regeneration, what does it look like from our perspective? The doctrine of conversion is our willing response of faith and repentance to God’s calling us into his family. While it may seem that this really is something that we have to do to be saved, it is actually God giving us the ability to do this in the first place.

Faith

Placing faith in Jesus involves more than just a theological assent to the truths found within the Bible, but actually agreeing with those truths in you heart. This involves coming to Jesus believing the truths of the Gospel, which is the power of God for salvation. The Apostle Paul states that the essence of the gospel is, “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures”. Placing your faith in Jesus involves believing that the long awaited Savior, Jesus, lived a perfect life on this earth, was crucified and was buried. He rose from death three days later, and will come back one day as a judge to right all wrongs.

Repentance

The second part of conversion involves repentance, or a true sorrow for the sin or wrongs that you have done in the past and a choosing to turn from those sins in the future. Now there is a guaranteed chance that you will sin thousands or millions of times after this, but as Martin Luther once said, “All of life is one of repentance.” We are always coming back to God and saying sorry for the wrongs that we commit against others and ultimately against him.

While conversion does include both faith and repentance, it is only because of God that we are able to do this. Although unnecessary, many (including myself) have said a prayer to God that affirms these things. It may go something like, “God I am sorry for the wrongs that I have done in the past. Jesus, I believe that you are God, and that you lived a perfect life for me, died on the cross and rose again. Thank you for saving me to a new life. Amen.” And the amazing thing is that if you truly believe this than you are a Christian and that God has promised he will never cast you out of his family. Being a Christian doesn’t make life easier, but you have God with you in all of the mess and you truly have a hope for the future. A common creed that the those who believe in Jesus have believed and recited since around 390AD is included below:

 

 

THE APOSTLES CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended into death.

The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

 

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Regeneration

Posted by Branden Earp on August 20, 2014
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1543-1545-Michelangelo-works-on-the-CONVERSION-OF-ST-PAUL-fresco-in-the-the-Pauline-Chapel-michelangelo-vs-leonardo-da-vinci-33332445-1086-1000Has an experience ever happened to you where in an instant your whole life changed? Possibly at the birth of a child or the death of a loved one. The Bible teaches that the most decisive moment of our lives is the moment of regeneration, or when God gives to us new spiritual life.

This moment is completely an act of God apart from anything that we could do to save ourselves. This is one of the distinctions made between the Calvinist school of thought and the Arminian school of thought as seen in the doctrine of election.

The Bible paints a picture that when we are apart from God we are likened to a dead man that cannot cannot save himself. A common analogy is one of a man that has been dead for years at the bottom of the ocean. Arminian theology would state that God throws us a life ring from off the ship and all we have to do is grab on to it (make a conscious choice to be saved). Calvinist theology, on the other hand would say that we are dead in our sins and that God is the one who jumps off the ship, comes down to the bottom of the ocean and makes us alive. Ephesians 2.8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” It is this change within us that enables us to cry out to God and believe.

The exact way that this happens is a mystery to us, but God in his grace decides to save some and to give them a new heart. Ezekiel 36.26 states, “And I [God] will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” One moment we hear the gospel being proclaimed, God decides to send his spirit within us, and the next our lives are forever changed and we are saved. Even though the change is instantaneous, it is seen over a lifetime, and you will begin to see that your life truly has changed when you see that you do not enjoy doing the wrong things that you used to do.

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Effective Calling

Posted by Branden Earp on August 19, 2014
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prodigal-paintingOnce God has predestined someone to be his child, the next thing to happen is something known as the effective call, in which an individual upon hearing the proclamation of the gospel responds in saving faith.

Behind the scenes, God the Father is drawing someone to himself to be in the family of God, but this is done through the preached word by a friend, family member or pastor. The theological term for this is effective calling, because when God calls someone from darkness into light they cannot help but be overcome with joy and respond in saving faith.

The best explanation of this doctrine that I have heard is from pastor John Piper. He said effective calling is likened to someone taking a nap on their couch (a metaphor for being dead in their sins and not believing in Christ), and a friend coming up and yelling WAKE UP!! (a metaphor for God’s calling to become a Christian). Really the only response you have is to jolt awake and respond.

This is why it is so important to talk about Jesus with those you have a relationship with. Romans 10.14 says, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? The only way for those who are not Christians to have eternal life is for another person to tell them about Jesus and for that person to believe.

If you are a Christian, think about 3 people who you have a friendship with and can be praying for and talking to about Jesus at the appropriate time. And if you are not a Christian, pray and ask God to make himself known to you in a real, tangible way this week.

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Election and Reprobation

Posted by Branden Earp on August 14, 2014
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landaue1_2Have you ever been chosen for something? Maybe you can think of the time when your husband asked you to be his wife and chose you. Possibly you were chosen for a job you didn’t think you had a chance at or for a fraternity or sports team. The doctrine of election is the act of God choosing you to be part of his family, not because of any good within you, but simply because he wanted to.

Election

There are numerous places in the Bible that speak to this (Acts 13.48, Romans 8.28, John 15.16, Romans 9, Ephesians 1.4-6, John 6.44, Ephesians 2.8-9, John 10.26), but there are many out there, including myself for most of my life, that feel uncomfortable with this doctrine. What this actually ultimately stems from is pride. We want to think that in some way we earned at least a little part of our salvation, even if that little part is our choosing of him. But this is just not the case.

The theological view that is opposed to what is called election is known as arminianism, which was founded by Jacob Arminius. Those that hold this view would say that God looks forward into our lives to see who would profess him as God and make a decision to become a Christian. God would in turn choose or elect those individuals who choose him for salvation. The problem with this view is that it makes the ultimate decision as to whether or not we are saved on our shoulders, and according to the verses above this just is not the case.

There are however some verses that do say that we choose him. The most famous verse is John 3.16, which states, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 1.12 also says, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,”.

So which one is it? The answer is both. We are choosing what we most want. God does predestine us and elect us before the world was created, but as my friend pastor Harvey Turner would say, “he also chooses our chooser” so that we voluntarily decide to choose what we most want to do. This is not some type of robot manipulation, but a loving God choosing to save some as his kids. Below I have a link to an article that pastor John Piper wrote that has the best explanation I have come across.

Reprobation

By far, the doctrine that I have had to wrestle with the most that is just there in the Scriptures is the doctrine of reprobation. Dr. Wayne Grudem defines this as, “The sovereign decision of God before creation to pass over some persons, in sorrow deciding not to save them, and to punish them for their sins, and thereby to manifest his justice.” Some verses that support this doctrine are, 1 Peter 2.8, Romans 9.17-22 and Jude 4. When those in the Bible asked why is was, the apostle Paul’s reply was,

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?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 

If you are like me and scream that this isn’t fair, you have to consider what fairness really is. If God were to be fair than he would save absolutely no one and we would all be damned. There are many things that we do not understand here on this earth, but ultimately we have to trust that God is good, and as Ezekiel 33.11 says, “As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?”

So this week, if you are a Christian, thank God that he did decide to choose you apart from any thing that you could do. And if you are wrestling with whether or not you are one of those that he has chosen, then believe in Jesus and tell him sorry for your sins. If you have done that, and truly believe, than you are elect and you can believe God when he says, “whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”

Here is also the best explanation of the doctrine of election by Dr. John Piper:

Are Thre Two Wills of God?

Here is a great video about the difficult doctrine of reprobation, or double election, followed by a short video about predestination.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbx-9neSzjU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulHddxQ__9E

 

 

 

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Common Grace

Posted by Branden Earp on August 10, 2014
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image.phpWhen you look at the world around you do you ever stop to think how incredible the place is where you live? I grew up in Las Vegas, and even though the 110 degree summers aren’t awesome, there are a ton of amazing things about the city. When you go up on the High Roller, which is the world’s largest observation wheel, and look over the Vegas Strip it is an incredible sight. Or where I live now in Reno, snowboarding or hiking on the mountains overlooking Lake Tahoe is breath taking.

Common grace is all the undeserved blessings in this life that we do not deserve that does not have to do with salvation. There are a plethora of examples in our lives where this is evident. Think of the fun times that you have on the beach or on vacation at at the lake with your family. The Bible says that God created all of this, with one word, and he makes the sun rise and the rain fall on both the just and the unjust. Pretty much everything that we have around us is there because of God’s common grace on our lives through the wisdom and strength that he gives us every day. This includes education, non-profits, friendships that we have and businesses and the products that are made in their walls that we use every single day.

Romans also says that God has given the knowledge that he exists to each person as an instinct of common grace as well. This is why when agnostics or even atheists are in a terrible tragedy the fist thing to come out of their mouth is “God help me.” And an awesome thing is that even though they are not Christians and are not God’s children, many times he chooses to deliver them out of unbelievable circumstances anyways. Even though they seemingly may not intellectually believe in God.

A final thing that this includes is not sending us to hell once we sin. The Bible says that each sin or wrong that we commit is punishable by an eternal punishment, if we are looking for fairness. For God, it would be completely just for him to damn us when we sin and are not Christians, but out of his common grace he chooses not to. 2 Peter 3.9 states, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” He cares for each and every person on this earth, and has given us amazing blessings to show it.

 

 

http://youtu.be/Rkc1F7itRdI

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The Holy Spirit

Posted by Branden Earp on August 5, 2014
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tumblr_n0fm0fCvJt1qbhp9xo1_1280One of the most misunderstood doctrines found within the Bible is who, or what, the Holy Spirit is. Some churches, that you never want to step foot in again nor bring a friend to, think that the Holy Spirit even causes a person to roll around on the ground and bark like a dog or burst out in uncontrollable laughter for hours. Some even bust out flags and try to wave him around like he’s something they can control. Other than looking completely silly, unfortunately most of these churches have no idea what a Biblical concept of the Holy Spirit looks like and usually place an abnormal amount of attention focusing on the Spirt over the other parts of the Trinity (Jesus and God the Father).

So what exactly is the Holy Spirit? Is it a force that roams around the earth and just creeps people out or is he a full member and person of the Trinity? In theology, the study of the Spirit is known as Pneumatology. In short, the Holy Spirit is a person who is God, who’s primary work in the world is to show the active presence of God in the world, mostly through the church and in the lives of Christians.

Firstly, the Holy Spirit is God and is a a full member of the Trinity. He’s not a side show that makes people do weird stuff, but should be worshiped as God. He is also a person in nature; which is why such personal attributes describe him, such as one that can be grieved, resisted, quenched and outraged. He is found within the Bible as early as the first chapter of the Bible when the creation of the earth is being described, and typically was a sign of bringing blessing through out the Bible. He is also a promise or guarantee for Christians that they will one day persevere until the end and make it to heaven, because God himself is the one preserving them.

The third member of the Trinity is also called the HOLY Spirt for a reason, one of his works is that he purifies or makes holy. He convicts us of sin or wrong that we do, washes us ultimately of sin when we are converted and become a Christian, and day by day helps us become more like Christ as our sinful patterns are put to death through him.

The Spirt also empowers Christians through out their life, which is both seen in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. While Jesus was still on this earth, he told his disciples that it was good that he left (be crucified), because he would send the Holy Spirt to us, who would actually dwell inside of Christians and would make himself evident in their lives through the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). The most powerful outpouring of the Spirit is seen at Pentecost in Acts 2 when he is sent and falls on believers as they are praying with several thousand becoming believers later that day.

Finally, the Holy Spirt guides us just as he guided Jesus during his life, was the one filling and guiding the writers of the Bible as they penned their respective books, bears witness that we are God’s children, gives us words to speak and intercedes for us in prayer when we don’t know what to say, unifies the church through gifting and will one day raise up Christians in resurrected bodies once they die.

It is truly amazing how much God wants to be directly involved in our lives and have a relationship with us because of what Jesus did. He did not leave us alone in this life, but gave us fellow Christians to walk besides and his Spirit to guide us. Sometime today, thank God that he did not leave us alone in this world, but even gave us his very own Spirit to guide and direct us in our everyday lives.

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The Resurrection

Posted by Branden Earp on August 1, 2014
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mural-large

What does the historicity of Jesus rising from death three days after being crucified have to do with us today? The apostle Paul, when writing in the New Testament states, “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your [Christians’] faith is in vain.” Why would it be so crucial that if Jesus did not rise from death than it would negate the faith of billions around the world?

The answer is that a dead God is no God at all. This is one of the crucial distinctions that sets Christianity apart from every other religion in the world. Apart them never claiming to actually be god, Siddhartha Gautama Buda, Krishna, Muhammad, Laozi, Confucius, Pythagoras, Mozi, Epicurus and Zeno of Citium are still buried in the ground. In fact, millions of people around the world travel across the globe to visit their graves and pay respect to the founder of their respective religions. Christians, on the other hand, have speculations as to where Jesus’ borrowed grave might have been, but no one really knows for sure because he was only buried in it for three days.

Only 20 years after Jesus physically rose from death and ascended into heaven, Paul wrote to the very people who were still alive after the Son of God was executed. Paul says, “Then he [Jesus] appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive..”. It was just an understood fact that he had risen from the dead and walked around on earth for 40 days. No one questioned that it had happened because you could just walk up to someone on the street and talk about their conversation that they had with Jesus post death.

For us, the resurrection also has great significance for how we live our lives today. If you are a Christian, it shows what exactly will happen to you when you die one day. One moment you will close your eyes, and the next you will be resurrected to new life in the presence of God Almighty. 2 Corinthians 4.14 says, “… knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.” Just as Jesus rose, so too will we follow in his footsteps and rise.

It also shows our justification, or having been legally made right with God. If you have faith in Jesus and believe that he lived a perfect life on your behalf, was killed and raised to new life, you have peace that your sin was buried with him in the ground and is not remembered by God anymore. In my own life, I find myself wanting to ask for forgiveness for stuff I did months or even years ago. Of course God knows all things, but in a sense when you continually come to God with sins you did in the past that have already been forgiven of by Jesus, no matter how heinous, God in effect replies, “What are you talking about? I don’t remember that!” Psalm 103.12 says, “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. So we can have peace that the past is the past, our sins are completely forgive, and then move forward to what is ahead in life.

Finally, because of the resurrection we can look forward to what our physical bodies will be like in heaven. The Bible says that we will not decay or get old, we will have physical attractiveness and stunning beauty, and we will also have incredible strength. Imagine what this means for those who have been handicapped their whole life or those who suffer with chronic pain. Maybe this is not too far of a stretch and you suffer with this yourself. Well, there is coming a day when all things will return to what they were originally created to be and all things will be made right.

The very last book of the Bible, when speaking of what heaven will be like upon our resurrection states, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, either shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” How great a day that will be!

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The Atonement

Posted by Branden Earp on July 28, 2014
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CruicifixionPROVOST1524When Christians talk about being “saved” what exactly does that mean and how do we gain this salvation? The very heart of Christianity boils down to the doctrine of the atonement, or what Jesus did in his life and death to earn our salvation for us.

Some theologians will say that Jesus’ death was not necessary and that there could have been many other ways for our salvation to be secured, but this simply is not true. The night before he was executed, Jesus even prayed to God the Father asking if there was another way, and there are numerous other verses that attest to him not only having to to die, but the way that it happened was according to the definite plan of God. There simply was not another way.

So how exactly does one man dying a horrible death by being nailed to a tree and dying from asphyxiation pay for our sins? 2 Corinthians 5.21 sums it up best when it says, “For our sake he [God the Father] made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” This is called Substitutionary Atonement. Jesus lived a perfect life without sin, dying a death that he did not deserve, on behalf and as a substitute for all those who would put their faith in and believe in Jesus as the only way to heaven.

Many people underestimate exactly how painful this was for him to do. I mean people die all the time for causes that they believe in or for a loved one, what make this so special? The thing is, the physical agony that he suffered was nothing compared to the pain that he bore taking our sin upon himself.

When Jesus hung there, the only perfect and blameless man that ever lived took upon himself the evil that is the antithesis of his very nature. The prophet Isaiah, prophesying about Jesus’ death 500 years before Jesus was ever born, says that God the Father laid on him all of our sins at once when he was crucified, and that it was even his will to crush his own Son out of love for us. Imagine how awful you feel after having done a wrong against another person, or the guilt you have after having cheated on a significant other or stealing something. Jesus took on that feeling billions of times over all at once, after never once having felt that in his life. On top of that, all his friends left him in his last hour, he was beaten to a bloody pulp before carrying his cross on his raw back, he had a crown of thorn spikes driven into his skull, was naked and shamed, spit upon and had his beard pulled out, and the union that he had with the Trinity for eternity past was momentarily severed.

This was all to satisfy the justice that was needed for our sins. After all, a good God would not be good if there was not justice given for the wrong done in this world. And at the end of the day, justice will be completely served to each individual person, whether it be the pain that was bore on the cross by Jesus for the sins of those who would believe in him or sadly it will be paid by those who refuse to receive the grace of God by suffering an eternity of anguish in a physical place called hell.

When Jesus died on the cross he was thinking about each individual person who’s sins he was dying for and truly showed us what true love ultimately looks like. John 15.13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

 

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