If you died tonight, do you know where you would spend eternity?
Perhaps you have been in church most of your life. Maybe you were baptized, joined a church, walked an aisle, or prayed a prayer years ago. But do you truly understand the gospel? And can you know for certain that you have eternal life?
If you have doubts about your salvation, don’t ignore them or simply try to convince yourself that everything is OK. God doesn’t want us to leave our eternity to chance. His Word tells us how we can know that we belong to Him.
And if you are confident of your salvation, what do you need to remember when sharing the gospel with friends and family? How much depends on saying just the right words or making a convincing argument?
These are questions with eternal consequences, and today’s reading from 1 Corinthians has something important to say about both.
It’s often one of the first questions we ask when life takes a painful turn.
Why this illness? Why did that relationship end? Why is my child struggling? Why did I lose my job? Why now?
God is not threatened by the sincere questions of His hurting children. But like Job, we can cross a line from humbly asking for understanding to demanding that God explain Himself.
Could we be asking the wrong question?
Instead of focusing only on why the trial happened, Scripture encourages us to ask what God wants to reveal, how He wants us to grow, and what a faithful response should look like. And perhaps the most humbling question is not “Why has God allowed this hardship?” but “Why has He shown me such undeserved mercy?”
We’ll also revisit some familiar verses from Romans that are often used in presenting the gospel. Can repeating a “sinner’s prayer” or “asking Jesus into your heart” give someone false assurance? And how can we clearly explain salvation without leading someone to trust in words they repeated rather than in Christ?
Normally, on Sundays people around the world fill their churches. Most would identify themselves as Christians. Perhaps because they grew up in a Christian home or because they have some general belief in God. But could there be a great danger in that assumption? Could many, even some who attend church every week, be Christians in name only?
When an observer in Jesus’ time asked, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” He warned that the gate is narrow. And when the people of Joshua’s day claimed that they would serve the Lord, he told them not to take that commitment lightly. Are there many today who have failed to heed those warnings? Are there many who base their relationship with God on something besides the true gospel?
That should be a heartbreaking thought for those of us who truly understand the gospel because it is the most incredible GOOD NEWS ever! Today’s post includes a link to a video that could shake your understanding of what the good news of the gospel really is!
Maybe you go to church, or maybe you don’t. Maybe you call yourself a Christian or maybe you’re not even sure you want to. What you do know is that you live with a sense of guilt and confusion. You lack any lasting peace and wonder if it will ever change.
Guilt sometimes leaves us with the vague feeling that we are not good enough and that we deserve whatever happens. But sometimes it leaves us angry and confused about why others seem to have peace and seem so sure of their relationship with God, while we live with constant doubt.
The problem with guilt is that it’s more than an emotion. It is a state of being. We are all guilty before a holy God. And there is only one remedy and one road to real peace.
Watch the introductory video to learn more about the Christian Living/Discipleship series, what it is, and how to use these videos. The videos are always available and will allow you to study the Bible at your own pace.
You can gain a deeper understanding of the Bible for yourself or use these videos as a tool to help you disciple a friend. Check out the list of lessons and upcoming lessons in the table of contents below. I’ll add a link to each new lesson as they are published.
The lessons are linked below as they’re published.
There is also an easy-to-follow workbook available.
As I mentioned in the introduction last week, I have had a desire for some time to really dig into the book of Colossians. And this year I’m one of several teachers who will be taking our women’s ministry through this powerful little epistle. So I thought I would share some of the truths we are learning with you all, as well.
Colossians is all about Jesus. It calls us to worship Him, understand who He is, and live in light of that truth. It’s both theological and practical. And it contains one of the most quoted and most taught portions of Scripture, especially when it comes to Christ.
Studying the book of Colossians will help us answer some very important questions. For starters, what does it mean when we say that Jesus is preeminent? That He is sufficient? And how should we live in light of who He is? So, I hope you will come back each week and grow with me through Paul’s letter to our first-century brothers and sisters.
Today we’re going to look at how He is preeminent and sufficient. And what it means that we should preach the gospel to ourselves.
