Biblical Possibility of Christ-like Change
Worldwide, many people honor Jesus and respect the Bible, even though they do not consider either to be applicable to their faith or daily life. However, the primary thrust of God’s Word establishes the importance and reality of one’s relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ through His life, death, and resurrection.
See Life’s Most Important Decision
If you do not have a genuine, personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, you have a spiritual problem that only God can solve. Without this relationship to Jesus, the Bible says you are:
- Hopelessly separated from God
Ephesians 2:11-12, Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. - Spiritually dead in your own sin
Ephesians 2:1 …And you were dead in your trespasses and sin - Hostile to God
Romans 8:7 …the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God - Blinded by Satan
2 Corinthians 4:4 … the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. - Powerless to overcome sin’s hold on your life
John 8:34, Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.” - Unable to understand the things of God
1 Corinthians 2:14, But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. - Unable to please God
Romans 8:7-8, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. - Incapable of living a spiritually fruitful and meaningful life
John 15:5 (spoken by Jesus) “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” - Under God’s judgment
John 3:18, He who believes in Him (Jesus) is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. - Doomed to die in your sins
Revelation 20:15, And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Remember that God is just; so if the above is true of you, you face His wrath.
John 3:36, He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
Romans 1:18, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.
On the other hand, God is loving and does not want you to perish in your sin (John 3:16), so He draws you toward His Son, Jesus (John 6:65).
John 3:16, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
John 6:65, And He (Jesus) was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” (insert added)
See Heaven…Are You Going There?
The first step of biblical change is to receive God’s salvation that is provided through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). This step of faith is possible only by the gracious gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9).
John 14:6, Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
Ephesians 2:8-9, For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
If you have never taken this first step of biblical change, you can do so right now. Simply tell God that you know you are a sinner and need His forgiveness of your sin. Acknowledge to God that neither you nor anyone else but Jesus Christ can save you. Ask God to forgive you of your sin because you recognize that Jesus died to pay the penalty for sin and rose from the dead so that you might have a new life. By faith, receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and thank God for His grace and love to you through Jesus. With a sincere and repentant heart, you are now enabled to demonstrate your commitment to Him by being obedient to God’s Word, the Bible.
When you receive salvation by coming to God the Father through His Son Jesus, you are granted eternal life.
John 6:40, For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.
John 10:28, (Jesus speaking), I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
In addition to receiving eternal life, you were also granted other life-changing benefits at the moment of your salvation. Take time to review the following article and give thanks to God Almighty for these life-changing truths that became yours the moment you received Jesus Christ into your life.
Spiritual Realities Before and After Receiving Christ
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Much of this study is used by permission and adapted from Lesson 1 of Self-Confrontation, a biblical counseling and discipleship reference manual produced by the Biblical Counseling Foundation (http://www.bcfministries.org).
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Biblical Possibility of Christ-like Change © 2016 WordTruth, Inc—http://www.wordtruth.net
All Scripture is quoted from New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved.
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