FALLEN SHORT OF GOD’S GLORY

Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

The Lord created man in His very own image and likeness to fellowship intimately with Him for all of eternity in a veritable paradise on this earth. However the first man and woman sinned and transgressed God's commands and were separated from Him as a result. The penalty for sin is, and always was, death. Adam and Eve were relegated to spiritual and physical death for their willful disobedience.

They were banished from the Garden of Eden and sentenced to a life of hard labor. They were compelled to work for their daily bread and subject to all the forces of nature. They lost their dominion over all the earth and relinquished their many privileges to the devil himself. Even though our Creator longed for their companionship, they were estranged from Him as part of the punishment for their offense.

All of us have sinned and fallen short of the awesome glory of God. We have inherited sin guilt from our human parents and there is nothing that we can do in our own strength to remedy that. Man is condemned to death without direct intervention from God. Only His mercy and compassion will spare us from His wrath. Unless He relents and offers us pardon and redemption, we will perish forever more.

Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

The human condition is, at first glance, rather hopeless. We all are subject to temptation and iniquity. We have inherited spiritual weakness from our ancestors and we make many of the same mistakes that they did. We tune God out and walk in stubbornness and rebellion. We put the creation before our Creator and we are selfish and materialistic. We transgress natural and spiritual laws without remorse.

Men bring unnecessary strife and division to their relationships and hate one another without cause. War, violence and conflict of all types run rampant on the earth. Many suffer from poverty and lack because others are greedy and oppressive. There is social injustice everywhere and vast numbers of human beings who are exploited. We destroy one another and the earth itself without fear of reprisal.

We are wicked and evil in all our ways and need God's help to set our lives straight. He has given us moral absolutes that we should follow, so that things can go well with us. However, we are weak and frail and we cannot adhere to His laws. The commandments were given to man to keep us on the right track, but they are continually violated. None of us ever seem to abide by them perfectly, as we should.

1Corinthians 15:56 “The sting of death [is] sin; and the strength of sin [is] the law.”

If there had been no law established, we would be free of guilt and condemnation. As it was, the Lord was forced to set boundaries with us, so that we do not injure ourselves and one another. He gave us His commandments, so that there would be peace, order and stability on this earth. Men still transgress His laws, and death is the only just penalty for the sinful nature.

Without the Lord's mercy and compassion, we are fated to total destruction. As it is, He has given us grace so that we can be redeemed from the curse of sin. We are able to repent of all our unrighteousness and turn towards Him once again. He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to be our substitute. Jesus did not come to condemn us, but to offer us salvation for all time.

He conquered sin, death and the grave and bought back our right standing with His Father. We are actually joint-heirs with Jesus to all the promises of God. If we believe in Him and all that He did for us, we are seated with Him in heavenly places. There is no good thing that the Lord will ever withhold from us if we have genuine faith and sanctify ourselves of all our defilement.

Romans 5:19-21 “For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Jesus was divine in all respects, yet He laid down His deity when He came to this earth and was born one of us, human in every way. He bore all of our iniquities, so that we could be set free to receive the gift of eternal life with all its many blessings. He actually became sin for us, then suffered and died from its curse. Christ rose from the dead to the newness of life, and He always intercedes for us with our heavenly Father.

Because of Him, we have been redeemed from sin and all its dire consequences. We are no longer subject to the penalty of death, nor relegated to a spiritual separation from God. We can appropriate His very own righteousness and be perfected as the sons and daughters of almighty God Himself. Christ has restored us to our original right standing with our Creator, so that we can be blessed instead of cursed for all eternity.

Through faith in our Lord and Savior, we are actually born again in our spirits. We become brand new creatures in Christ. Our minds are renewed in the truth and our behavior is totally transformed until it becomes godly. We embrace our divine destinies and take dominion over all things on the earth. We can walk in divine power and authority and lead many others out of darkness and deception before it is too late.

An Awareness Of Sin

1John 1:8 “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

We have all inherited iniquity from our ancestors. None of us is totally righteous, no matter how hard we try otherwise. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and we continue to do that on a regular basis. We need to repent of all our sins; renounce them for all time; and seek God's forgiveness in order to be in right standing with our heavenly Father.

He is holy and perfect, and if we wish to be in an intimate relationship with Him, we will have to cleanse ourselves of all unrighteousness and be obedient to do all that He tells us. We cannot be doing our own thing any longer. We have to keep all fleshly lusts and selfish soul ambitions under control, and strive for spiritual maturity that comes only through persistent effort.

We must believe that Jesus Christ was indeed the Son of God and be baptized in His name. He served as our substitute by paying the penalty for our sins with His death. Were it not for His obedience, we would all perish in our transgression. Our Savior was the perfect sacrifice to atone for all our sins once and for all, and through faith in Him we have inherited eternal life.

Each of us must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. We cannot ever take it for granted. We have been bought with a dear price - the Blood of Christ Himself. We are not our own any longer; He actually dwells in us now and we have an obligation to remain sin free. We must guard our righteousness by being fully obedient to all of the Lord's commandments.

Psalm 51:3 “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin [is] ever before me.”

We can never underestimate all that our Lord and Savior did for us. He was the propitiation for all of our sins - past, present and future - and for those of all mankind. Because of His perfect love for us, we are set free to be restored to our original birthright. Our heavenly Father views us as His very own, beloved sons and daughters and we are joint-heirs with Jesus to all of the promises for righteousness.

The Lord has washed us clean of all of our iniquity, regardless of how severe it may have been, and we are covered by the Blood of Jesus Christ Himself. That means no matter what we may have done to provoke God's anger and punishment in the past, we now have a fresh start. Our sin guilt is no longer imputed to us. We are brand new creatures in Christ and God will bless us as He has always desired.

We should pray and ask Him to reveal anything that is contrary to His perfect will for our lives. He will be faithful to cleanse and purge us of all that is hindering our full, spiritual maturity. If we ask Him to send His Holy Spirit to us, He will do so. His very own Spirit will indwell us; convict us of sin; and strengthen us in our spirit man, so we can prevail over temptation to wickedness and evil of any kind.

James 4:17 “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth [it] not, to him it is sin.”

We know the truth; we are without excuse when it comes to sin. We need not continue in unrighteousness any longer. By the Blood of Jesus, we are forgiven of all our sinfulness. If we confess Him as our Lord and give Him full reign in our lives, we can be totally victorious. We can overcome the world, our flesh and the devil if we imitate His laid down life and follow His perfect example.

Our minds are renewed and our behavior is transformed until we become like Him in every way. But this is not automatic for any of us. We have to be diligent to resist all evil and purposely choose to do what is right. We must follow all the Lord's commandments and walk in love for Him and for one another at all times. We can never be overly confident of our right standing with our Lord.

We have to put our faith into action. If we see our brothers or sisters in any kind of need, we should do everything that we can to help them. To fail to do so, will bring judgment upon us. None of us lives to himself; we are all connected to one another and we must behave just as Jesus did during His time with us. We must feed the hungry; shelter the homeless; and clothe the naked among us.

Each of us can do something to help those who are less fortunate. We should lend a hand whenever it is needed and always pray for others. If we recognize our divine power and authority as the sons and daughters of God, we will also preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who are still in darkness. We will lay hands on the sick, cast out demons and even raise the dead back to life again.

We should present our bodies as living sacrifices to our God. If we fail to respond to His call on our lives, important work will remain undone. The forces of evil will take control of this world and many will perish for lack of knowledge in the truth. We must know who we are in Christ and remember whom we serve at all times. Our lives are no longer our own; we have been bought with a dear price.

The Atonement For Our Sins

John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

We should be eminently grateful our Creator loved us so much that He developed a perfect plan to rescue us from our generational iniquity after the fall of Adam. He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth to save all of mankind. Christ did not come to condemn us, but to spare us from the penalty of death for our sins. He became our substitute and took on all our sin debt as if it were His very own.

Jesus suffered, died and rose again to eternal life. He was the firstborn of many sons and daughters who are destined to be just like Him in every way. We are redeemed through the merits of His precious Blood and set free from our bondage to sin and evil for all time. We have the gift of eternal life now available to us, and we will spend all of eternity in His presence in the everlasting Kingdom of God.

We became joint-heirs with Jesus to all the promises of God. He has seated us in heavenly places at the right hand of God Himself. We need not beg and grovel to have our prayers heard. We can approach the throne of grace with hope and confidence that all of our needs will be met in abundance. There is no good thing that the Lord will ever withhold from those who believe in His Son and obey Him.

Romans 10:9-11 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

The new birth is easily implemented. We must repent from the heart and turn towards almighty God for His forgiveness. We must surrender our lives and be born again in our spirits, so that our right standing with God is restored. We should believe in Jesus Christ and all that He did for us and confess Him as our Lord and Savior. We should be baptized in His name as an outward sign of our salvation.

When we do all this, our minds are renewed in the truth and our behavior is transformed until it eventually becomes godly. We put our spirits in ascendancy to our bodies and souls, and we are strengthened to overcome all temptation to sin and evil. If we imitate the laid down life of Christ, we can be victorious in this life and in the Kingdom to come. We can serve the Lord in all that we think, say and do.

We will embrace our eternal callings and walk in our divine destinies, as we should. We will share our faith with others and see them set free to receive the free gift of eternal life. We will expand the Kingdom of God in this world and rescue many men, women, and children from darkness and deception. We will glorify our God and assist Him in bring heaven to this earth realm, as He so ardently desires.

John 3:5 'Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

None of us are righteous in our own strength, no matter how hard we try to be otherwise. Unless we repent of all our sinfulness, accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, and are baptized in His name, we cannot be born again in our spirits to eternal life. We must also pray for the baptism in the Holy Spirit, so that we can be strengthened in our inner man.

When we do, we will actually begin to acquire the characteristics and attributes of God Himself. We are new creatures in Christ, and all things become possible for us. If we imitate His laid down life, we will grow and develop into mature sons and daughters of almighty God. His Holy Spirit will empower us so that we can be all we are divinely destined to be.

We will serve the Lord and His people in ushering in His Kingdom to this earth realm. We will share our faith with power and conviction and save many others from darkness and deception. We will lay hands on the sick and they will recover. We will cast out demons in Jesus' name that hold men in bondage to sin and evil, and even raise the dead back to life again.

Colossians 1:12-14 “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, [even] the forgiveness of sins:”

Once we are born again, we become joint-heirs with Jesus to all the promises for righteousness. We are translated out of the kingdom of death and darkness and into the kingdom of life and light. Our lives change for the better, as never before. We no longer have shame, guilt or condemnation. We can approach God with confidence and know that our prayers are heard and answered.

We are blessed beyond belief and have all of our needs met in abundance. We grow and develop until we reach full spiritual maturity and resemble the likeness of Christ Himself. We are saints of God - His very own sons and daughters. We have an important role to play on this earth. We will partner with the Lord in saving others to eternal life and help gather them into the Kingdom of God.

Very soon now, Jesus will return to us and share His very own honor and glory with those who have been faithful to serve Him and His people. He will appoint us as kings and priests in His Kingdom, and we will assist Him in judging both men and angels. We will teach all of mankind to dwell in love, peace and unity, as we rule and reign with Christ Himself over all the nations of the world.

No Need To Keep On Sinning

Romans 8:10 “And if Christ [be] in you, the body [is] dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness.”

We have all inherited iniquity from our ancestors and we cannot ever be righteous in our own strength. However, through faith in Jesus Christ, we can be set free from our bondage to sin and evil. We can appropriate the righteousness of our Lord and Savior once and for all time, and learn to remain sin free. If we should make mistakes, we can always confess our sins and ask for the Lord's forgiveness. He will gladly reinstate all of our blessings and restore us to our right standing with Him.

When we are born again, we no longer make a habit of sinning. Christ actually dwells in us by faith, and His Holy Spirit convicts us of all our sins and leads and guides us into the truth. He empowers us to resist temptation and overcome the world, our flesh and the devil. We no longer have an excuse for falling short of God's glory. Righteousness is well within our grasp, if we are diligent to obey all the Lord commands to us. We should strive for holiness and perfection, just as God is holy and perfect.

He wants to gather us to Himself for all eternity, but no wickedness can survive His presence. We will have to take our sanctification to a brand new level and aspire to godliness in all that we think, say and do before we can enter into the Kingdom of God. We can ask the Lord for His purging fire now and have all iniquity burned out of us once and for all time. Our heavenly Father will cleanse and purify us of all our transgressions, so we can be regarded as His very own beloved sons and daughters.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them.”

As we surrender our lives more and more to almighty God, we mature spiritually to the point that sin no longer has a hold on us in any way. We become godly role models to others and imitate the life of Jesus Christ Himself. We can then be trusted with divine power and authority, so that we can optimally serve the Lord and minister to His people. Our destiny is to partner with God in establishing His Kingdom on this earth, and we have to be willing and obedient to do everything that He asks of us.

In the critical days that lie ahead, we will preach the Gospel in every nation of the world. We will persuade men, women and children to repent of all their sins and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We will baptize countless numbers in His name and heal them of all their afflictions. The blind will see; the deaf will hear; and the lame will walk through our efforts. We will cast out demons that keep men in bondage to sin and evil. We will even raise the dead back to life once again, just as Jesus did.

We will minister to others with the very love, mercy and compassion of God Himself. He will give us hearts of flesh to love others, as we love ourselves. We will reach out to them as Christ once did, and see miracles abound all around us. Those who were once lost in darkness and fated to eternal punishment will be set free to eternal life and all of its many benefits. We will teach them to obey all the commandments and treat one another with fairness, dignity and respect, so there is peace on earth.

1John 3:9 “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”

We have been made the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus. If we are born again in our spirit man then all things are made new for us. The Lord no longer holds us accountable for our own sins - past, present or future. They have been washed clean in the Blood of our Lord and Savior once and for all time. We should no longer have any sin consciousness.

Jesus actually dwells in us now, and our minds are eventually renewed in the truth and our behavior is totally transformed until it becomes godly. We should imitate the laid down life of our Redeemer and learn to walk as He walked on the earth. Christ was the epitome of self-control as a human being. He was totally sinless at all times and perfect in every way.

He is our role model and teacher. We can learn to function as He did, if we apply ourselves and draw near to Him for strength and guidance. He has also sent us His Holy Spirit, so that we can be convicted of all known sin and empowered to overcome our temptation to it. The Holy Spirit will actually permeate our entire being, so we can become and remain sin free.

Romans 6:12 “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.”

We can grow and develop in the deep things of God through the baptism of His Holy Spirit, and become spiritually mature to the point that sin no longer has a strong hold on us. The Spirit gives us light and life, so we can control our mortal bodies and our selfish souls. We can successfully overcome this world, our flesh and the devil through the awesome power of the Holy Spirit.

Spiritual fruit will appear in our lives that resemble the characteristics and attributes of almighty God Himself. We will become joyous, peaceful and loving with little or no effort on our part. Goodness and gentleness will be part of our new nature as the sons and daughters of almighty God. We will be meek, temperate and longsuffering in all of our relationships with others.

We will embrace our divine destinies, and enthusiastically serve the Lord and His people in all that He asks us to do. We will become godly role models for those who are steeped in sin, darkness and deception. We will operate in genuine, divine power and authority and defeat all evil with good. Nothing will ever be impossible to us, if we walk in the Holy Spirit instead of the flesh.

1John 1:5-7 “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Jesus Christ was both God and man. When He came to this earth, He laid down His deity and became as human as we are. Yet He was perfect and without sin, regardless of the provocation and temptation to sin that He incurred. He was totally disciplined and self-controlled to the point that His heavenly Father could fully trust Him with His divine power and authority.

If we walk in the light just as Jesus did, our relationships with God and with one another will be vastly improved. We will feel no shame, guilt or condemnation. The Blood of Christ cleanses us of all our sins for all time. We will obey all of His commandments and love others as we love ourselves. We can approach the throne of God with hope and confidence.

The Lord will be able to imbue us with an anointing much like that of Christ Himself. We will be empowered to embrace our divine destinies and serve His people with joy and gladness. We will save many from destruction by preaching the Gospel message. We will teach men, women and even children to repent of all their sins and be baptized in Jesus' name.

The fate of all mankind will be impacted through our evangelization efforts. We will make eternal life available to all those who are receptive to it. We will be living testimonies to the mercy and compassion of almighty God for His people, and role models for righteousness. We will warn others of the impending judgment that will soon come on the entire human race.

John 8:34-36 “Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: [but] the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

Each and every one of us have a decision to make. Will we choose sin and rebellion as a way of life or appropriate the righteousness that has been made available to us through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior? No one can make the choice for us. We can be slaves to sin and its penalty of death, or free to inherit eternal life with all of its many benefits. This is an awesome opportunity that has been given to the human race and we should be eternally grateful.

The Lord will not ever force His will on us. Salvation is made available to everyone, but some will still choose to ignore it. Unfortunately, they will perish in their own ignorance and rebellion. We cannot be stubborn and hope to be saved. If we deliberately sin and defy God, there will be serious consequences for our actions now and in the critical days to come.

There will be no second chances given to anyone. We must decide now how we wish to spend all of eternity. We can repent of all our wrongdoing and appropriate the righteousness of God through faith or perish. We cannot be on the fence in any way. Our faith is an “all or nothing proposition.” We must walk in the light of Jesus Christ or darkness will consume us. The ways of this world will lead us into perdition, but almighty God Himself is willing to rescue us.

Very soon now, Jesus Christ will return and we will all face a strict judgment for all our works in the flesh. The righteous will be vindicated and inherit His everlasting Kingdom with all of its many blessings. However, those who are wicked and evil will be destroyed. He will banish them to the eternal lake of fire, where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Dire Consequences For Sin

Psalm 89:31-2 “If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.”

Our God is capable of both creation and destruction. We should have a reverent fear of Him at all times. We must show Him the deference and respect that He deserves. While He is always good and loving, He is certainly never a God of compromise. He is all holy and perfect, and if we wish to cultivate His favor, we should aspire to holiness and perfection ourselves.

We cannot ever deliberately sin and transgress God's laws without fear of His reprisal and dire, long-term consequences. Sin separates us from His loving presence and steals our blessings from us. If we wish to be healthy, happy and prosperous in all of our ways, then we must obey all of the commandments and walk in love for God and others, as we have been taught.

The Lord is never obligated to provide for those who act contrary to His will. He will turn His back on us if we knowingly defy Him, and we will be left to our own devices without His loving providence and protection. We run the risk of incurring God's wrath if we are stubborn and rebellious. It is always a fearsome thing to fall under the mighty hand of God.

Leviticus 5:17 “And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD; though he wist [it] not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.”

Our Creator has established commandments, so that there is peace, order and stability in all of our affairs. They are not subject to dispute or debate. Ours is not a God of compromise. He has absolute, moral standards that we must obey at all times if we wish for things to go well with us. If we willfully transgress any of His laws, we will be held strictly accountable for our actions.

The Lord will be compelled to render a severe judgment on us for our stubbornness and rebellion. The wages of sin are death and we will be spiritually separated from God and subject to the pain and suffering of death in our flesh. Both our body and soul will be banished to the unquenchable lake of fire for all of eternity. There will be no opportunity for us to repent at a later date.

There will be no second chances given to anyone. If we choose evil, we will be without hope or relief from never ending punishment. While others will be blessed and gathered into God's awesome presence in the everlasting Kingdom of God, we will be eternally condemned and on the outside looking in. The sheer anguish and deep longing that we will experience will overwhelm us.

Matthew 7:17-19 “Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”

Man is a spirit being who is having a human experience that will test and perfect him. Very soon now, we will all be judged by our works in the flesh. Those of us who have been righteous and obeyed the Lord will shine with the brightness of His glory. He will boast of us as His very own sons and daughters. We will be eternally blessed in His very presence in the Kingdom of God.

However, there will be others who are uncooperative with what the Lord asks of us. Their fate will be sealed for all of eternity. They will bring never ending condemnation and punishment on themselves for their stubbornness and rebellion. The Lord will not tolerate wickedness and evil in His people. He will banish us to the eternal lake of fire with all of the wrongdoers.

Very soon now there will be no second chances given to anyone. We must make the all important decision to obey God at all times, regardless of the temptation to do otherwise. If our fruits are good then we will be rewarded with the gift of eternal life and all of its many benefits. But if we bring forth only evil in our lives we will experience serious repercussions for our bad behavior.

Hebrews 10:26-27 “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.”

Our God is a consuming fire. He will burn all the iniquity out of His people. We have a critical choice to make. We must abide by His moral absolutes and submit to His will for our lives, or be forever banished to the unquenchable lake of fire. There will be no future opportunity for repentance, no negotiation of our fate. We must decide now how we will conduct ourselves.

When Christ returns, we will all face a fair and equitable judgment. No one will escape His scrutiny. We will be held strictly accountable for all that we think, say and do in this world. We have no excuse; we know the truth and all its ramifications. Our Lord and Savior will take vengeance on all the enemies of our God and execute a just and permanent sentence on everyone.

Those who have fully obeyed the Lord and always walked in love will be eternally blessed. They will be gathered into the everlasting Kingdom of God Himself, while those who are unrepentant will face a fiery judgment and eternal torment for their wickedness and rebellion. Christ will vanquish them from His awesome presence, so they can no longer defile God or man.

There will be no evil that enters into the Kingdom of God. Our heavenly Father will dwell with us, and no defilement can abide in His presence. There will be nothing that contaminates the peace and security of our lives. We will have joy and freedom for all of eternity, with no downside whatsoever. We will live forever, and the Lord will supply all of our needs in abundance.

Godly Sorrow

Romans 2:4 “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”

The Lord loves mankind with a deep, abiding love that defies human understanding. We are created in His very own image and likeness to fellowship with Him for all time. However, sin interrupts that relationship and brings enmity with almighty God. We incur His displeasure and run the risk of His wrath every time we take a step out of righteousness into wickedness and evil.

Our God is gentle and good, merciful and compassionate to His people. He supplies all that we need to be healthy, happy and prosperous in this world. He has made us an incredible promise; we will spend all of eternity in His presence in the Kingdom of God if we repent of all our sins and appropriate the perfect righteousness that only faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, offers us.

However, we cannot negotiate the terms of our redemption. We must allow God to do His perfect will in our lives. If we are sincere and contrite in heart, the Lord will strengthen us to do what is right in His eyes. We will accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, and be baptized in water and the Holy Spirit of God. Our born again spirit will be totally victorious over all temptation to sin.

2Corinthians 7:10 “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”

While we were once condemned to eternal punishment for our sins, and subject to the penalty of death for our generational iniquity, we now have the opportunity to be saved to eternal life with all of its many benefits. All that we need do is cleanse and purge ourselves of all wickedness and evil and repent from the heart. We should accept Christ as Lord and permit Him access to us.

When we do, our lives change as never before. All things are made new for us. We have the opportunity to start over and get it right. Our minds are renewed in the truth and our behavior is totally transformed until it becomes godly. We become joint-heirs with Jesus to all the promises for righteousness. We are actually seated with Him in heavenly places at the right hand of God.

Salvation is the best decision that we could ever make. We will never regret the time and effort that it takes to become aware of our wickedness and repent of our sins. While we may be sad and discouraged for a season, godly repentance will produce never ending joy and gladness in our lives for the long term. We will always rejoice in the favor and grace that is shown us by the Lord.

Luke 13:5 “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

We have had ample warning. Our eternal fate will be determined by how we choose to behave now. We can permit the Lord to purge us of all iniquity, repent from the heart and renounce all of our sin, or be damned to eternal punishment for our stubbornness and rebellion. There will be no later opportunity to repent. Christ will return very soon and we will all face His judgment.

If we accept Him as our Lord and Savior and allow Him to do a good work in us, we will be saved to eternal life with all of its many blessings. We will be righteous in His eyes and entitled to enter into His everlasting Kingdom. Our lives will be idyllic for all of eternity if we simply accept the truth and walk it out. However, if we are disobedient in any way, we will surely perish.

There is no way that the Lord will ever lower His perfect standards for our lives. He expects us to repent, be converted, saved and baptized in Jesus' name, if we wish to enter into in His awesome presence for all of eternity. Salvation has been made available to each of us. The Gospel message is simple to understand and easy to implement. We are without excuse if we choose to ignore it.

Acts 3:19 “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;”

The Gospel of the Kingdom of God is being preached to all the nations of the world. It is not the Lord's desire that anyone perish. We should share our faith with every man, woman and child that we meet, so that they can receive the gift of eternal life, just as we have. There is no need for anyone to be condemned to eternal punishment; the Lord wants all of us to repent and be saved.

If we do, He will gather us into His everlasting Kingdom on this earth. It will be a paradise for all of us. We will have peace and prosperity, safety and security, health and longevity, joy and freedom for all time. The Lord will supply all of our needs in abundance even before we ask Him. He will change our mortal bodies into glorious, resurrection forms that never get sick and decay.

We will dwell in His very presence for all of eternity and bask in His endless love for us. All men will be righteous and dwell together as brothers and sisters in unity. We will see our children and our children's children for all generations to come. There will be no more war and conflict; no death and destruction, no poverty and lack. The Kingdom of God will be perfect in every way.

Those of us who have served the Lord and His people will receive generous rewards for our faithfulness. Christ will share His honor and glory with us. We will be appointed kings and priests and judge both men and angels. We will receive the heathen and the uttermost parts of the earth as our inheritance. We will even rule and reign with Jesus Christ over all the nations of the world.

A God Of Mercy and Compassion

Micah 7:18 “Who [is] a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth [in] mercy.”

Although our Creator may have been seriously disappointed in us at one time, He is ever merciful and compassionate to the human condition. He gives us grace and favor in our time of need and strengthens us to do His will. He never stays angry with us even when we fall short of His glory and make mistakes. He will always forgive us, if we are sincere and repent from the heart.

While we should never take advantage of His loving kindness, we can always rely on God to be fair with us. If we miss the mark of true righteousness, He will gently prod us until we get back on the right path. His Holy Spirit convicts us of all our sins and leads us into the truth. There is no reason why we should go astray after wickedness and evil and put ourselves in dire jeopardy.

We have the awesome example of Jesus Christ to remind us of how we should think, speak and behave. We can reign in this life and in the world to come if we imitate His laid down life and walk as He walked on this earth. Spiritual perfection is well within our reach if we ask the Lord to deliver us from all evil and protect us from all harm. He will imbue us with power to overcome.

Psalm 32:1 “Blessed [is he whose] transgression [is] forgiven, [whose] sin [is] covered.”

If we believe in Jesus Christ and all that He did for us, we no longer should have a sin consciousness. We will actually become the sons and daughters of almighty God Himself, and He will take delight in us. He seats us in heavenly places with Christ in His very own throne room. We need not ever beg or grovel to have our needs met. He hears all our prayers and provides what we need in abundance.

We will be blessed, instead of cursed, all the days of our lives and in the Kingdom to come. The Lord will boast of us to all creation and fellowship intimately with us. He will take an active interest in all the minute details of our lives. We will have unmerited favor and grace in all that we undertake. He will protect us from all harm and strengthen us in the power of His might to avoid all temptation to sin.

Shame, guilt and condemnation will be removed far from us when we are born again in our spirits. We will have no fear or torment that is associated with death as the penalty for our sins, as God's perfect love casts it out of us. We will become fully aware of who we are in Christ and embrace our divine destinies. The Lord will confer His very own divine power and authority on us, so that we can serve Him.

Romans 5:2 “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

In the critical days to come, we will shine with His glory and take back the entire earth for the Kingdom of God. We will serve as godly role models to others and set many free in the truth of the Gospel message. We will lay hands on the sick, so that they recover. We will cast out demons in Christ's name and set men free from their bondage to sin and evil. We will even raise the dead back to life once again.

Nothing will be impossible to us if we remain sin free and strive for holiness in our walk with God. He will empower us to implement His will for all of mankind. We will exhort others to seek the truth and repent of all their iniquity, just as we have done. We will warn them of the imminent judgment and encourage them to seek salvation. We will ultimately approach every man, woman and child in every nation.

The fate of the entire human race will be altered according to the Lord's eternal redemption plan. We will be His ambassadors on this earth and fulfill His call on our lives. No one who chooses righteousness will be left behind. We will gather in the full, end-time harvest of souls that is necessary before the Kingdom can be ushered in. Everyone whose name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life will be saved.

2Peter 2:9 “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:”

If we are continually righteous and obedient to His lead, the Lord will order our steps so that we have great success in all of our endeavors. He will deliver us from all evil and fortify our spirits. We will be released from the power of sin and all of its repercussions, and have hope and confidence for our future. Very soon now, He will gather all the righteous to Himself in the everlasting Kingdom of God.

Heaven itself will be brought to the earth realm and the Lord will come and take up residence with His people. We will all be loving and obedient, and dwell together as brothers and sisters. The Lord will provide all of our needs from all the vast resources of the universe. There is no good thing that He will ever withhold from us. We will have peace and prosperity beyond all expectations.

He will take vengeance on all of His enemies and banish the wicked from among us to the eternal lake of fire for all time. Nothing will ever contaminate the peace and serenity of Kingdom life. We will have total safety and security. Christ will rule with a rod of iron to ensure that nothing that is harmful or defiling ever comes near us. He will be our God and we will be a people called by His holy name.

The Lord will boast of us to all creation. We will have our mortal bodies changed to be like Christ's very own. Sin and death will no longer reign over us in any way. There will be no more pain and suffering from disease and decay. Wars and conflict will cease; poverty and lack will be things of the past. We will live forever in a veritable paradise on this earth and give God all the praise He deserves.

Topics for Discussion

1. An Awareness of Sin
2. The Penalty For Sin
3. The Atonement For Our Sins
4. No Need to Keep On Sinning
5. Dire Consequences Of Sin
6. Godly Repentance
7. Mercy And Compassion