The Biblical Path of Life

Tag: Wages

  • The Love of God

    “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

    Luke 19:10

    The world often presents us different views of God. One is a God of love who accepts everyone and everything. The other is a God who is an unimpassioned, silent, and a cold abstraction, who has no thought of what happens to or with mankind. Both of these are completely wrong according to God’s Word. God created man in His image (see Genesis 1:26). “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). This should reveal much to us. After He created Adam and Eve in the garden, He fellowshipped with them (see Genesis 3:8). That is until sin separated between man and God (see Genesis 3:9-11). God is righteous and holy (see Psalm 145:17), and He judges with righteousness and truth (see Psalm 96:13). Sin separates from Him. Therefore, God immediately promised the way of restoration for that broken fellowship, caused by sin (see Genesis 3:15). From that day forward, they were to believe God’s promise, by faith, and look forward to that day. God kept that promise. He sent His only Son to provide the opportunity for any one to have that relationship restored. “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” (John 3:16). This reveals the love that God has toward each person that has ever been born.

    It is important to recognize that the wrong idea about who God is will allow for wrong ideas about who we are. Because God created us, certain things about us are set and cannot be changed (think height, gender, skin color, etc.). Most importantly, each person is born a sinner. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We cannot change the fact that we are sinners. However, God sent His only Son to deliver us from that sin (see John 3:16). Understand what it was that happened when Jesus died upon the cross. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus took the sin of each person upon Himself when He died upon the cross. “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father” (Galatians 1:4). Jesus took that sin and paid the penalty to set us free and to restore that broken relationship between man and God. Remember, the penalty for sin is death. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Yet God offers a free gift. It is important to recognize what it is that God desires. “8. But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9. 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. 10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:8-10). Acknowledging that one is a sinner, and that Jesus died to set each one free from the consequences of sin, the choice to receive or reject the gift of life that God offers is then left up to each individual. Once one hears, God wants each person to believe. Each person is required to make a choice.

    God sent His only Son to purchase a people for Himself. “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14). John (one of the Apostles) describes what he learned because he trusted in Jesus. “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). John recognized that the relationship with God could be restored with Him because of His Son Jesus. John wrote about Jesus so that all could understand the heart of God in sending His Son, Jesus. “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31).

    However, if one rejects who God is, this will lead to a wrong life, heading on the wrong path, ultimately leading to the wrong destiny. “17.For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18. 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” (John 3:17-18). Why did God send Jesus? “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

    There are only two choices:

    Believe Jesus is God who came to forgive one’s sin and to restore the relationship with God.

    Believe not, rejecting the free gift of life through Jesus, and continuing in sin. That one will spend eternity in darkness (in the lake of fire) separated from God (see Revelation 20:11-15).

    What did you choose?

    Make the right choice: How to be saved

  • God’s Greatest Gift

    “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
    Romans 6:23

    “Remember the familiar Bible lessons of Jacob and one of his sons, Joseph. Joseph was the eleventh son and the last to be born to Jacob before he returned to the land promised to Abraham and Isaac. Joseph was a godly young man in spite of adverse circumstances in his life. God used him to save his family from starvation during a time of famine throughout the lands.

    “In the Old Testament, Joseph is one of the people we compare to a picture of Christ. … God promised to send One who would deliver a sinful people from their sins. The first time was when man sinned in the garden (Genesis 3:15), and then we saw God promise Abraham that all people would be blessed through his descendants (Genesis 22:18). We even saw a picture of what God would do—lay down the life of His Son. In this lesson, we see once again the promise of a mighty Deliverer who would come (Genesis 28:14). And better yet, we see a picture of a mighty deliverer in Jacob’s son, Joseph. When Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, they meant it for evil. ‘But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive’ (Genesis 50:20). God sent His Son, Jesus, to save the world from their sin. He was the greatest gift ever given. But sinful man crucified him (evil against Him), and God took what man intended to be evil and delivered us from our sins by Jesus’ death. Just as Joseph recognized that he was placed in a position to save the world from starvation, Jesus came to save the world from ‘the wages of sin … death’ and instead give us the ‘gift of God … eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ Notice the faithfulness of Joseph and the blessings of God upon him … for although he endured many problems (his brothers hated him; he was sold into slavery; he was falsely imprisoned and forgotten; and so on), he remained faithful to God. And God blessed Joseph’s life. …

    “Joseph is an excellent example of enduring hatred and rejection from family members and still walking with God. When he was sold as a slave, Joseph still lived as an upright young man, choosing to do what was right in God’s eyes. When falsely thrown into prison, God was still with Joseph, and Joseph honored God with his life.

    “… God promised to send One who would deliver a sinful people from their sins. …God planned to send His Son, Jesus, from the beginning, and he constantly reminded mankind that He would come, sometimes giving them a verbal promise and other times a physical picture (like Joseph) to help them (and us today) understand. Jesus is God’s greatest gift, for he came to save people from their sins. … Just as Joseph saved people from starvation, Jesus came to save mankind from sin.”

    “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

    (Excerpt from Year One Quarter Two, Lesson 4 of The Biblical Path of Life)

    What is the greatest gift God ever gave? His Son, Jesus—to pay the penalty for our sins.

    Have you accepted this gift?

    How to be Saved

  • God’s Enduring Love

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

    ‘Just as the Israelites were told of their sin and called to repentance, the same call is extended to us today. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). All are guilty of sin, and there is a penalty to pay. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). In addition, God provided one who paid the penalty for us — if only we would receive. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Just as God extended a call to the Israelites, warning them before judgment would fall, God warns us today. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). What response does God require? “8. But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9. 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. 10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:8–10). What are we to do with that information? “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6).’

    Have you called upon the Lord while he is near?

    Excerpt from The Biblical Path of Life, Year Two Quarter One, Lesson 9; God’s Enduring Love. www.biblicalpath.com