Accepting Jesus

Accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior provides us with the Holy Spirit, the supernatural Helper who guides us to the best path for our life.

” I will give you a new heart, and a new Spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”(Ez 36:26-27)

The Holy Spirit is both our power and our internal compass directing us towards our promised blessings. But instead of a compass that we hold in our hand directing us across terrain to find a treasure, the Holy Spirit takes us across Scriptural terrain to find nuggets of gold to apply to our life.

Accepting Jesus Accesses God The Father

Jesus shows us in Scripture that obedience to His teachings opens the door to God the Father’s blessings. Obedience it is the only safe path. Like a good earthly father, Jesus desires the best for His children and thus is constantly trying to get our attention in order to guide us. He can use other people to stir up something within us to direct us to the right path in life. He can use circumstances, unfavorable situations and countless other things to guide us to His safe path of blessed living.

Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross made believers white as snow, therefore God the Father considers us sinless children who are privy to His blessings. We are also privy to conditional blessings if we meet the conditions. We simply need to read the Bible to understand what God requires of us to receive HIs best blessings.

Jesus’ death on the cross accomplished far more than take away sin so we can spend eternity in heaven. He accomplished everything we could ever need on this earth. After Jesus was beaten, He made one final and profound statement from the cross:

“It is Finished” (John 19:30)

What is finished?

Everything.

Accepting Jesus’ sacrifice and then receiving the Holy Spirit, is our complete remedy to all problems we could ever encounter.

Jesus Leveled The Playing Field

Jesus leveled the playing field. It truly was unfair that Adam and Eve brought sin into the world and thus all subsequent generations were sinners. We couldn’t escape it- sin was in the world the minute we were born and there was no way to avoid seeing, hearing and experiencing it. Therefore we are all sinners even if we didn’t want to be!

Everything lacking in joy and vibrancy is from the effects of sin on our mind and body. Think of a manufacturer who discards toxic chemicals into our water system. These toxins can enter a pregnant mom causing cancer in the unborn baby. The Lord never inspired the idea of a product that pollute natural resources. Nevertheless, the Good News of the gospel says Jesus has overcome all problems- even disease- when He redeemed us from the curse of the law.

When I was a baby Christian- very new to Bible study- I had to imagine Christ redeeming us in practical terms I could understand. So I thought of going to the grocery store with a coupon for a loaf of free bread. Giving the coupon to the cashier, I received the bread free of charge.

Jesus gave his body in exchange for our free new life lived “In Christ.” This means we are wiped clean of all sin- both the sin others brought into the world- as well as our willful sin. We are as white and clean as new fallen snow.

“Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean.”(John 13:10)

We are saved for eternity if we have accepted Christ as our personal Savior. Jesus promised to cleans us of our sins. But Jesus teaches, we need to “wash our feet” meaning, examine our behavior daily and repent of every sin both known and unknown that we committed in the last 24 hours. This will allow us to remain in contact/communion with God- like Adam and Eve were before they sinned.

New Lifestyle

Our new lifestyle lived in Christ requires us to be vigilant about what we engage in. We will have to make a concerted effort to turn away from all vulgar TV, music, movies, literature, billboards, advertisements, chatter, gossip and the list is long! But practicing righteousness and repenting daily from the sin- puts us in rightstanding with God. This allows us to receive all the blessings we find in Scripture.

Jesus’ profound act of suffering, created the way to receive the Kingdom of God (aka our Garden of Eden) and all of the amazing promises. Now our job is to scour Scripture, accept Jesus as our personal Savior and start the journey of a faithful follower. Then God, in response to our asking and in His timing will help us with all our concerns.

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”(John 15:7)

Finding Scripture to apply to our problems is akin to taking a RX to heal us. This is how we overcome all of our problems in life. As we study Scripture, the Holy Spirit directs us to the perfect Scriptural remedy to pray to God.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”(John 16:33)

So through one man’s sin we were cut out of the kingdom of God, so too, through one mans sacrifice- Jesus- we have the ability to regain aspects of Garden of Eden- first and foremost a close relationship with the Lord.

“So then, just as one trespass brought condemnation for all men, so also one act of righteousness brought justification and life for all men.” (Romans 5:18)

Jesus suffered so that we could enjoy life and rest- just like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It is a deeply profound and massive gift He offers to every person. But, no good gifts are just tossed into the air so we can grab them and run off. The most precious gift of all, is getting to know the person who loves us deeply and desires to shower us with the best things in life. Now that is a person to follow!

Food For Thought,

Lisa