You need the gospel to free you from sin's grip, guilt, and filth.
Grip
Sin has all of us in its grip from birth. We can't stop worshipping ourselves and living for our own benefit, even though God's two most basic commands are to worship him alone and live for the benefit of others. Without the gospel, even our expressions of worship to God and service to others are really about ourselves.
Sin keeps us locked into ourselves. The gospel releases us.
Guilt
Take this quick test to see if you need forgiveness from guilt:
1. Have you ever viewed anything as more worthy of your time, energy, passion, and resources than God?
2. Have you ever used God's name casually and/or disrespectfully?
3. Have you ever ignored God's gift of sabbath (a day each week to rest from work and focus on God)?
4. Have you ever dishonored your mom or dad?
5. Have you ever hated anyone?
6. Have you ever looked lustfully at anyone?
7. Have you ever taken something not rightfully yours?
8. Have you ever spoken falsely about someone?
9. Have you ever felt discontent because someone had something you didn't?
How many 'yes's and 'no's did you get? To be acceptable before a perfectly holy God, we need to have gotten ALL 'no's. Even just one 'yes' means we're guilty before God - law breakers. We deserve justice.
Filth
This guilt also makes us morally unclean before a morally spotless God. Like an otherwise clean bottled water with a drop from the toilet in it - we're totally nasty.
The Gospel
Jesus lived the perfect life we've failed to live and died the sinner's death we've earned so that we can be freed from the grip, guilt, and filth of sin. Believe it. Rest in it. And look to Jesus as your King.
Be freed. Be forgiven. Be cleansed.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Be Saved, Like Chilean Miners
33 miners were trapped in the earth. They could not dig their way out. No advice about how to dig themselves out would save them. What they needed was good news: someone from the outside figured out a way to come down to them and bring them out. This is the gospel.
We're trapped in our imperfection. We cannot dig our way out. No advice about how to dig ourselves out will save us. We need good news: that God sent Jesus down to us to bring us out. This is the gospel.
Like the Chilean miners to their rescue capsule, we must cling to Jesus for salvation.
The Gospel: News or Advice?
The gospel is the key. But what is it?
Many think of it as advice. Stop sinning and be good. But it's not advice. It's news.
Advice is an opinion about what you should do. News is fact about what has already been done. Men's Health Magazine offers advice. The Charlotte Observer offers news. So does the gospel.
The gospel is the good news that God loved you so much he sent his son, Jesus, to make a way for you to be with him.
It's news to hear and believe. Not advice to follow. Hear and believe what God did. Don't try to do it yourself.
Many think of it as advice. Stop sinning and be good. But it's not advice. It's news.
Advice is an opinion about what you should do. News is fact about what has already been done. Men's Health Magazine offers advice. The Charlotte Observer offers news. So does the gospel.
The gospel is the good news that God loved you so much he sent his son, Jesus, to make a way for you to be with him.
It's news to hear and believe. Not advice to follow. Hear and believe what God did. Don't try to do it yourself.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Jesus: A Real Dude Who Claimed to Be the Savior
Jesus was a real man who lived and breathed and claimed to be the savior of all who would place their faith in him.
What would you think if someone approached you today and said, "Hi, I'm Phil and I'll save you from your sins and give you eternal life if you put your faith in me." You'd think Phil was crazy. And you'd be right. And Phil's influence in your life wouldn't last past that interaction. In fact, his influence in the world wouldn't last past his funeral. Jesus, on the other hand, made that exact claim and his influence is still prevalent 2,000 years later.
Here's the point:
Jesus was a real man who claimed to be the way to God, the truth, and the light by which all who have faith in him can see in a dark world. Do you believe him?
You have to make a decision. Was he a liar? Was he a lunatic? Was he actually the savior?
What questions do you have that must be answered before you can make your final decision about Jesus? (You can post your questions in the comments below).
What would you think if someone approached you today and said, "Hi, I'm Phil and I'll save you from your sins and give you eternal life if you put your faith in me." You'd think Phil was crazy. And you'd be right. And Phil's influence in your life wouldn't last past that interaction. In fact, his influence in the world wouldn't last past his funeral. Jesus, on the other hand, made that exact claim and his influence is still prevalent 2,000 years later.
Here's the point:
Jesus was a real man who claimed to be the way to God, the truth, and the light by which all who have faith in him can see in a dark world. Do you believe him?
You have to make a decision. Was he a liar? Was he a lunatic? Was he actually the savior?
What questions do you have that must be answered before you can make your final decision about Jesus? (You can post your questions in the comments below).
Welcome to Engage
Engage is an intense effort toward engaging teens with the gospel. My goal is to present it clearly so that questions are answered and decisions are made. Check back weekly for lesson recaps and cool stuff.
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