Don’t Defend Yourself

I tend to get very defensive when I am accused of something I did not do and/or in cases of injustice. While there is certainly a time for this, I believe we would do well to focus less on self-defense and more on honoring God through defending gospel truth.

So often, we are quick to get on our “soap boxes” and get defensive about our “pet topics” (i.e. why Daylight “Saving” time is ridiculous), but are we so quick to defend the truth of God’s Word for the purpose of pointing people to Him?

Furthermore, are we as adamant about declaring the eternal truth as we are about righting temporary wrongs? I fear the answer is far-too-often no. May God help us to be biblical in our walks with Him by prioritizing the right tone and content of our conversations! Do not defend yourself. Defend eternal truth.

When warning of the coming persecution that was and is the reality for much of the Christian world and is promised to continue until He returns, Jesus said, “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you. They will hand you over to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of My name. It will lead to an opportunity for you to witness. Therefore make up your minds not to prepare your defense ahead of time, for I will give you such words and a wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict” (Luke 21:12-15).

Did you catch all that? Persecution and injustice will “lead to an opportunity for you to witness.” Pointing others to Jesus, not defending our “rights,” must be our top priority. “Therefore make up your minds not to prepare your defense ahead of time, for I will give you such words and a wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.” Praise the Lord!

On Sunday morning, Lord willing, I will be preaching from one of my favorite passages of Scripture in the entire Bible (Acts 6:8 – 8:3 ). I love the story found in these verses because Stephen lives out Jesus’ promises in Luke 12:11-12 and 21:12-19. Stephen was wrongly put on trial before the most powerful religious court in the land and falsely accused of things for which he was innocent. Yet, Stephen did exactly as Jesus declared and promised – he did not defend himself but rather preached the gospel.

Through Stephen’s boldness and biblical faithfulness, he actually put the Sanhedrin on trial! What an incredible moment in church history!

In my message Sunday morning, I hope to challenge my hearers to really count the cost of biblical discipleship and see why following Jesus is worth the cost. The message should be available Sunday afternoon HERE.

Have you counted the cost of following Jesus? Are you relying on His Spirit to enable you to live for Him, knowing that only then are you truly prepared to die for Him? That begins, of course, by truly surrendering your life to Him and then continually walking with Him in obedience and faith.

If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation, you can be assured you have His Spirit, just as Stephen did, and the evidence of His Spirit living in you is that you will endure to the end, just as Stephen did. As a result, let us focus on Jesus, not our temporary “rights and privileges,” being the priority of lives. To God be the glory!

To learn more about what it means to follow Jesus and endure to the end, check out The Story.

Update from Turkey

Below is a story I wrote for SEND Relief to share about my time here for the purpose of helping with water filtration in response to the recent earthquakes…

I am really having a difficult time processing what I am seeing and experiencing here the past 10 days.

Overwhelming is a the word that comes to mind. I am overwhelmed by the devastation and destruction – the buildings and the lives. I am overwhelmed by the hopelessness of those trying to move forward without knowing the hope of Jesus Christ. I am overwhelmed by the necessary recovery efforts that will undoubtedly take years. Overwhelming.

Inadequacy is another word that comes to mind. We are so inadequate to meet the needs here. We cannot get enough filters or install enough filters to provide clean water for everyone who needs and requests it. We cannot have enough conversations and pray for enough people to make a spiritual dent in the darkness. We are completely inadequate for the task at hand. Inadequacy.

Discouraging is another unfortunate word that hurts my heart. I am discouraged by the buildings which still lie and ruins with bodies buried underneath. I am discouraged by a local organization that promised to provide water for a tent community after we installed a filter in their building, but then they refused share the water as they promised. I am discouraged by the overwhelming inadequacy of our relief efforts. Discouraging.

Despite all I said above, though, hopeful is the most important word that comes to mind. I am hopeful because of the local church here stepping up in amazing ways to serve their community. I am hopeful because I see people serving others even though they themselves have experienced tragedy. I am hopeful because the Lord is still in control, even in the midst of unspeakable brokenness and heartache.

Sure, I am overwhelmed, inadequate, and discouraged, but there is hope in the Lord. He is infinitely bigger than anything which overwhelms. He is infinitely stronger than my inadequacy is weak. He is infinitely more comforting than any discouragement is disheartening. Praise the Lord!

Will you pray for the people of Turkey and Syria? Pray for local believers to have wisdom, boldness, courage, and compassion. Pray for survivors to find the only hope that will not end – hope in the Lord Jesus. Pray for relief from the suffering, safety from further disaster, and peace in the midst of sorrow. Pray for God’s name to be glorified in this land.

Words Are Necessary.

It has been said that Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary use words.” Whether or not he actually said those words, I do not know. More importantly, some people actually believe those words can guide a Christian’s life. Wrong.

While I understand the emphasis in that statement of living what we preach – walking the walk and not simply talking the talk, it is not a good statement to live by because it is not a biblical statement and not even possible to achieve.

Why? Well, because to preach the gospel requires words.

Yes, we must also walk the walk and live out what we preach, but without the words of the gospel, there is no “preaching of the gospel.” The gospel, simply put, is the good news of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our salvation. While loving and serving others can be (and is) used by God to point others to Jesus, what will they actually understand without words accompanying the necessary actions of love?

By only witnessing a good example of kindness and generosity, can someone know enough to be saved from their sins and have eternal life? Does an act of service declare that we must repent of our sins and surrender our lives to Jesus Christ in order to be made right with God? Of course not.

Words are necessary.

On Sunday morning, Lord willing, I will be preaching from Acts 2:1-41 on “The Mission of Our Purpose” (which should be available Sunday evening HERE). We must rely on the Lord to live out the mission He has for us – every single one of us, and words are part of that mission.

What is that mission, though? How can we know? The Bible tells us (Matthew 28:18-20; John 20:21; Acts 1:8) that our mission is to follow Jesus and help others follow Jesus. To do that requires both words and deeds. Loving kindness is necessary (see Jesus’ words in John 13:34-35), and the Word of Truth is necessary (see Romans 10:9-17).

Words are necessary.

Yes, let us always be sure to love others by our actions, but let us also realize that we must explain where such love comes from – that Jesus alone enables us to live the life He has called us to live and that He alone can take away our sins and make us right with God.

Preach the gospel, which will always require actions and words. To God be the glory!

If you are unsure about the gospel message and how you can know if you have eternal life, please check out The Story.

Russian Roulette Is Not Love

When was the last time you held back saying something to someone, though you knew you should have, because what needed to be said would have been hard to hear? We have all been there, right? Perhaps we even hold back sharing truth under the supposed act of “love” for that person. We might say or think something like, “Well, I love them and don’t want to hurt them, so I’ll just look the other way [(or accept them as they are) or (let them live their lives)].”

To be clear, though, that is not love. Love demands truth.

You cannot claim to love someone, for example, while at the same time being okay with them playing Russian Roulette. If you know what Russian Roulette is, you know that “dangerous game” is an understated description. Furthermore, if someone continues to play Russian Roulette, they will eventually “lose” (and die). Love, then, demands we share the truth with them.

To say something foolish like, “I know playing Russian Roulette makes you happy, and I want you to be happy. If that makes you happy, play on,” is not a loving thing to do. No, the loving thing to do is to beg and plead with them to put the revolver down and live. Do not take such chances with your life. Please!

As dangerous and devastating as Russian Roulette can be, how much more dangerous and devastating is the eternal death that comes as a result of sin. It is the death we all deserve because of our sin, but God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to “take that bullet” for us. Now, everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

Refusing to turn from sin and surrender your life to Jesus, though, is like playing the ultimate horrifying game of Russian Roulette. The consequences are so much worse than a bullet to the brain and the end of physical life. The consequences are eternal death.

We cannot be sure when this life will end for any of us. We cannot be sure when Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead. And, once this life is over, the chance for repentance and faith will be too late. That is why God’s Word appeals to all, “‘Don’t receive God’s grace in vain.’ For God says: ‘I heard you in an acceptable time, and I helped you in the day of salvation. Look, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation‘” (2 Corinthians 6:1-2).

Do not play Russian Roulette with your spiritual life. Do not be content with any plan other than God’s plan for you (according to His Word). And, do not think that the loving thing to do is to sit by while others play Russian Roulette with their spiritual lives. We cannot take the gun out of their hands, but we can love them enough to tell them of the consequences and plead with them to surrender their all to Jesus and let God “take the gun.”

We discussed in our adult Bible study with our church family last night the calling of Jesus on our lives – “Whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them — this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12).

If you were so blinded from the truth that you thought Russian Roulette was the right thing to do, would you not want someone to tell you? Would you not want someone to do whatever they could to get that gun out of your hand and help you experience hope and healing? Of course you would! To love someone is to act on that love. To love someone is to speak the truth into their lives.

God alone saves. He alone has the solution to our eternal problem. Have you surrendered your all to Him and begun to experience that solution? Do you love others enough to tell them?

“If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:9-10). Will you share this with someone today?

The Right Relationships

God created us for relationships. Most importantly, we need a right relationship with Him, and we also need healthy relationships with others. Primarily, once we come to know and follow Jesus, we need a familial relationship with a healthy local church.

Why?

Well, God created us to depend on one another, and His church is His chosen instrument to bring the gospel to the world. Thus, we are redeemed to bring Him glory and to partner with His church for the advancement of the gospel.

On Sunday morning, Lord willing, I will be preaching from Philippians 4:10-20 on our need to “Prioritize the Great Commission.”

How can we prioritize the great commission – being disciples who make disciple makers?

Well, I obviously hope to communicate that clearly Sunday morning, but simply put, we need to walk with Jesus and help others to walk with Jesus. That cannot be done apart from active involvement with a biblically faithful church. Philippians is all about such a partnership for the sake of the gospel.

Are you walking with Jesus? If so, you are serving and will serve the church for whom He died – the church He calls His bride – the church He instituted, the church He authorized, and the church He commissioned.

Are you faithfully partnering with the church in order to prioritize making disciples? If you are seeking to follow Jesus, the answer can only be yes.

Have you surrendered your life to Jesus? If not, would you consider The Story? If you have trusted in the Lord, are you faithfully prioritizing discipleship by serving His church?

Evangelism as Evidence

One very big difference in my life now from my life before I was a follower of Jesus Christ is my desire for others to follow Jesus. Before becoming a born-again Christian, I really did not think much about the salvation of others, let alone care. Sure, I declared myself to be a Christian, but because I did not have a personal relationship with Jesus but was rather just going through the religious motions, I never really considered the importance of others having a relationship with Jesus. Thus, evangelism – sharing the Good News of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection for our salvation – was never on my radar. Really, that is just the job of pastors and preachers and missionaries, right?

After surrendering my life to Jesus during my sophomore year of college, though, I desperately longed for others to know what Jesus did for me. I wanted others to know what He did and could do for them. And, while the commitment, obedience, and even the passion, at times, have been all over the spectrum from on-fire to barely flickering to somewhere in the middle, the flame of longing for others to know and experience the salvation that only Jesus Christ can give has never ceased.

THE SOURCE OF CHANGE

Why the stark difference from my life now and my life before becoming a Christian? The obvious answer is because I have experienced new life in Jesus, life that did not exist before I was 20 years old. Yes, I believed the right things about God and even knew I needed His forgiveness, but life (really, my march toward eternal death) was just about me, or so I thought. What could I get out of this religion thing? How might this help me achieve more for myself?

When God opened my eyes and my heart to the truth of the gospel, though, I was changed forever. The Holy Spirit began a work in me that continues and will continue until Jesus returns or calls me home. He is the source of change and the reason I so long for others to know Him.

Have you experienced that change?

THE EFFECT OF CHANGE

The Holy Spirit of God is the source of change, as He is the only One who can change our hearts for good. What is the resulting effect of that change, then? Well, there are many answers to that question, as the effects of change are the fruits of the Christian life (like we see in places like Galatians and 2 Peter). One effect, though, that I do not believe we talk about nearly enough is evangelism. The effect of gospel change in one’s heart and life is a passion for evangelism.

As is true for all Christ-followers, I believe, evangelism is evidence of salvation. We are either evangelizing or greatly convicted that we need to be.

Yes, we all struggle with obedience at times. Sure, we see various levels of passion and commitment. Certainly, some are more gifted in evangelism than others. The heart of evangelism, though – telling others how they can experience what you have experienced – should be evident in the life of every single one of us who follows Jesus. Truly, I believe it will be.

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses” (Acts 1:8). Not a suggestion but a command. Not an idea but a calling. Not a possibility but a promise. When you trust in Jesus, you receive His Spirit. When you receive His Spirit, you receive power. When you receive power, you evangelize.

Again, that does not necessarily imply that you are faithfully proclaiming the gospel in your everyday life, but it certainly does imply that you know you need to be. Do you?

Evidence of salvation is not limited to evangelism, but it is certainly not less. We ought to long for much more than just that others would also follow Jesus, but we should never want less than that.

On Sunday morning, Lord willing, I will be preaching from Acts 1:1-8 on the challenge we should all consider – “Are You Powerfully Proclaiming?” Are you telling others how they can have eternal life and pleading with them to turn to the Lord? If not, are you burdened that you need to be?

If Jesus has changed your life, I cannot fathom how you would not long for others to experience such change. May we continually pray for evangelism as evidence, hold one another accountable, trust God’s provision, and seek His help. To Him be the glory!

If you have yet to experience a changed heart and changed life, would you check out The Story and turn to the only One who can generate such change?

The Cost of Winning

As long as I can remember, I have loved winning and hated losing. Not alone in that mentality, many others share this competitive nature with me. Do you? For things that really matter to you, even if you are not quite as competitive as some, I am sure you love winning and hate losing.

What is the cost of winning, though? How much are we willing to sacrifice in order to succeed? Are we willing to pay the price?

Growing up, when it came to basketball – perhaps more than anything else – I wanted to be a winner. I wanted to be the best. I never really was the best, but that was not for lack of trying. Since the third grade and until my sophomore year of college, I spent at least 2-3 hours per day (sometimes many more) in the summer months and at least 30-45 minutes during the off-season school months working on my basketball game. Ball handling drills, shooting drills, lifting weights, push-ups and sit-ups, jumping and agility drills – anything I learned from my dad and others that would make me better, I tried.

I counted the cost of what I believed and what I was told it would take to achieve success, and I embraced that cost. The cost of winning was worth it to me.

A BETTER VICTORY

So much better than winning at basketball, though, is the victory that comes from the Lord. On Sunday morning, Lord willing, I will be preaching through 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 on “The Cost (of discipleship that leads to church unity): Whatever It Takes.”

As a child and as a teenager, I felt like I was willing to do whatever it took to be the best I could be at basketball. I made a lot of sacrifices for the sake of getting better. Never did I get as good as I wanted to get. Maybe I became a better-than-average player trapped in a below-average athletically gifted body. Maybe God was protecting me from the pride and foolishness that would have resulted if I did truly achieve the success for which I longed. I am not sure.

My goal was to play division-I college basketball, though. Well, I did not accomplish my goal. Was all that sacrifice worth it? To some degree, yes – I learned a lot about hard work, commitment, and dedication. To some degree, no – I am sure I, at least at times, sacrificed at the expense of other things that were more important than basketball. Then again, I was not yet a follower of Jesus Christ, so I did not really comprehend what those “better things” might be. I had yet to realize that a better victory was available – a victory that I could never attain on my own but that had been won on my behalf.

WANTING TO WIN

That better victory is so much better because it is a victory that lasts forever. It is a victory that we were created to long for and be miserable without. It is the victory that satisfies not only what we need most but also defines our very purpose. Have you experienced that victory – the victory that comes only in and through a relationship with Jesus Christ?

If you have experienced victory in Jesus, then you want a kind of winning that is so much greater than the winning I longed for as a basketball player. You want to experience winning people to Jesus. You want to follow Jesus and help others to follow Jesus. And, the cost of that kind of winning truly is worth the cost – worth the cost of stepping out of our comfort zones and risking our very lives so that others can experience the greatest victory.

If we are willing to sacrifice for worldly success, how much more should we willingly sacrifice for eternal impact?

I always attributed my work ethic and competitive nature to my dad, and there is certainly some truth to that because I am not sure if I have ever known someone as hard-working and competitive as my dad. He also loved to win, and some of my greatest childhood memories are when we won at things together. What I have come to realize, though, is that the longing to win is really the way God created us. We were made in His image, and so we were made to love and long for victory. He is the greatest Victor of all, and when we know and follow Him, we will want to experience that victory and help others experience that victory. Then, more than ever, is the cost of winning worth the sacrifice.

Praise be to God!

Please check out The Story if you have yet to experience the greatest victory.

The Mask of Pride

Rather than writing a weekly blog post this week, I recorded a weekly blog video in order to share my personal convictions about an issue that has, unfortunately, become far too political. No, I am not trying to convince you to wear a mask but rather to consider your motivations for doing so (or not doing so). In preparation for my Sunday morning message in our Walk Humbly sermon series, I want to challenge you to be prepared for God’s just judgment (as I’ll preach, Lord willing, from Micah 6) by responding to Him and others with humility and not with pride.

Before we can do what God has called us to do, we must be who God has called us to be. This is only possible when we turn from sin and surrender our lives to Him, trusting in what Jesus did on the cross and what Jesus accomplished through His resurrection. To learn more, check out The Story.

The Good Life

This past Saturday, Zoe and I had our monthly daddy-daughter date. Because it was Zoe’s turn to pick where we ate, of course, we went to McDonald’s. Oh, the simple things that are yet so satisfying! When we were sitting there enjoying our meal which cost well under $10 for both of us, we were happy. We were satisfied. Life was good.

Life is full of moments like that, as well as the opposite, is it not? When we are happy and content in our circumstances, we tend to be satisfied with life. When our circumstances are not so good, though, we might find ourselves dissatisfied with life.

CIRCUMSTANCES ARE INADEQUATE

Surely, there is more to “the good life” than circumstances, though, right? Circumstances can change in an instant, so if good circumstances are required for “the good life,” we are all doomed. Our circumstances will eventually let us down. They will eventually disappoint, no matter how much money we have, how healthy we are, how great our jobs are, etc. Circumstances are inadequate.

We can be healthy, wealthy, and well today and then lose everything tomorrow. If you settle for satisfaction in your circumstances, you will one day be disappointed, if not in this life, in the next. There is so much more to life than french fries, happy meals, and fountain soda – even as great as those gifts of God are!

JESUS IS THE ANSWER

If you somehow discovered a circumstance that could never change (i.e. wealth you could never lose, health that would never deteriorate, a job that never left you feeling disappointed, endless french fries that never got cold, etc.), you would certainly feel like you were living “the good life,” right? Of course, there is no such thing as such a perfect, lasting circumstance. Everything the world offers is temporary.

Jesus Christ, though, is so much better. He created us to find our satisfaction in Him because satisfaction in Him is the only satisfaction that will never disappoint. As long as we seek to know, follow, and honor Him, we can have incredible joy and contentment, regardless of our circumstances. More importantly, we can have a right relationship with God that will never end.

DO NOT SETTLE FOR LESS

If you are letting your circumstances determine whether or not “life is good,” you are settling for far less than God has for you. Life is good because God is good. Life is good because Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead to defeat, once and for all, sin and death. Life is good when we know and follow Jesus and help others to know and follow Jesus. Period. Praise the Lord!

On Sunday morning, Lord willing, I will finish our Who’s Your One? sermon series, preaching from John 1:40-42 on when “Life Is Good.” Christian discipleship is essential, so I will share two keys to the good life – the life found only in and through Jesus.

Do not settle for less. Let Jesus be the source of your satisfaction by surrendering your all to Him and helping others surrender their all to Him. If you have not yet done so, click the picture below for more information.

If you want to have peace now and peace eternal, read and respond to The Story.

What about hell?

Unless referring to hell in a joking and/or derogatory manner, people do not seem to be interested in talking about hell. Of course, I can hardly blame them. Hell is an uncomfortable topic of conversation, especially if the conversation is genuine and serious.

Hell is serious, though, and hell is a topic of conversation that should not be avoided. The Bible talks a lot about hell. Jesus talked a lot about hell. We need to talk about hell. Heaven seems to be a topic we do not mind discussing, but what about hell?

On Sunday morning, Lord willing, I will preach from Luke 16:19-31 about the difficult reality that “Hell Is Real.” The truth about hell should not only burden us about the importance of the gospel but also about the urgency of the gospel. Over the past few weeks, we have been challenging one another in our church with the question, “Who’s Your One?” When considering those we know and care about (and even those we do not know or care about), the truth of hell should motivate us to love and serve those around us. And, there is no greater way to love and serve others than to tell them how to have a right relationship with God and avoid eternity apart from Him in hell.

For the purpose of preparing for Sunday and, more importantly, for the purpose of self-examination, I want to share a few biblical truths about hell.

1. HELL IS DESERVED.

The Bible tells us, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:11-12). Rather, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). And, the punishment for that sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23), meaning eternal damnation in hell, apart from the love and fellowship of God and His followers.

No one in his right mind says he wants to go to hell. All of us, though, deserve hell. All of us. No exceptions because we are all sinners who have disobeyed our holy God.

2. HELL WILL BE CROWDED.

Jesus warned, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

Hell will be crowded because the way to hell is broad and easy. The way to eternal life is difficult because it involves humility and submission to the Lord Jesus Christ. If hell is deserved because of sin, hell will be crowded because of a refusal to repent and turn to Jesus for salvation.

Ironically (or maybe not), I also plan to start a new 6-week class on Sunday morning called “Membership Matters.” Sadly, the same thing that keeps many people from joining a church is what is leading them to hell – pride. When one pridefully chooses to disobey the Word of God, no matter the reason, he stands condemned, and there is no way a follower of Jesus can obey the clear teachings of the New Testament apart from faithful, active involvement in a local church. Church membership matters, and a refusal to join and serve in a local church is ignorance at best and sinful pride at worst.

Please realize, I am not saying church membership protects anyone from hell. There are plenty of church members from all denominations and from all generations who will likely spend eternity in hell because the church does not save us from sin and death. Church membership does not save us from sin and death. Church service does not save us from sin and death. Church giving does not save us from sin and death.

But, can someone who has been saved from sin and death not desire to belong to a local church? Can someone who has truly repented of his sins and surrendered his life to Jesus Christ willfully disobey the clear teachings on faithful church membership (i.e Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 5 and 12; Galatians 6:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Peter 2:17)? Being a faithful follower of Jesus is not possible apart from being faithful to your local church. There is much more that can and should be said about this, so I will save that for the class or for a conversation with you if you want to discuss this further. Please consider reading the above passages of Scripture, though, and ask yourself how any of those callings on our lives can be fulfilled apart from active local church membership (being a committed part of the “body”).

Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep my commands” (John 14:15). Of course, that includes, but is not limited to, His commands about His church. Picking and choosing which commands to obey is equivalent to picking and choosing a false God. Jesus is Lord. His Word is our ultimate authority. Hell will be crowded because few have chosen and few will choose to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus before it is too late.

Hell is deserved, and hell will be crowded. This is terrible news, but thankfully, there is good news.

3. HELL CAN BE AVOIDED.

While we all deserve hell, God loves us so much that He made a way for us to avoid hell, not simply for the sake of avoiding hell but for the sake of being with Him. If you will simply turn away from your sins and ask Jesus to take over your life, trusting solely in His death and resurrection for your salvation, He will change your life now and give you life eternal. Hell can be avoided, and avoiding hell is only possible in and through Jesus Christ – the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

If you are struggling with whether or not you have truly been made right with God, would you consider reading 1 John? Examine your heart, and ask yourself what you believe and who you are trusting. Consider the longing of your heart and the passion of your life. God created you for Himself, and He calls us to turn to Him. Hell can be avoided, but more importantly, right standing with God can be received in and through His One and Only Son.

If you want to know and follow the Son of God and have eternal life, learn how HERE.