Fall 2000

Page 2

The Prophet, who proclaims the very word of God.

The Priest, who is the mediator between Holy God and sinful man.

The King, who rules and overrules in heaven and on earth.

The Lord God is your Creator. You are responsible to Him, both to follow Him and to obey Him. Your eternal purpose is to glorify God and to praise your Creator.

God is Holy and His law demands perfect righteousness. You have broken God’s law which means you are a sinner. God hates all sin.

God is righteous and just, so He must punish your sin – just as a judge must punish a criminal. The law requires it and God’s righteous justice demands it.

All men are born with a corrupt heart that loves sin and hates God. The corruption in your heart causes you to want to go your own way, to be your own master, and to break God’s law.

The person of Jesus Christ is God’s only answer to the problem of sin, and the sentence of eternal death required for your sin. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost. He was not born with a corrupt heart as you were.

Jesus lived a perfect and sinless life under God’s law, and He was obedient even to die as the perfect Lamb of God, without blemish. He satisfied God’s justice for sinners who repent and trust in Him.

A Roman jailer two thousand years ago asked, "What must I do to be saved?" "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ," came the reply, "and you will be saved."

But beware, the devils also believe and yet tremble in fear of judgment. To believe "toward" the Lord Jesus (as the original means) is to place all your hope in no other – not in yourself, not in your works, not in your church.

It is costly to be a follower of Jesus. Simply to believe that the life of Jesus is a historic fact is not sufficient. Jesus demands that He be the top priority in your life or you cannot be His true follower.

The Lord God demands that you must repent. "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out." You must forsake and turn away from all your sins and you must surrender to Jesus Christ as your Lord and master.

To repent is to recognize that your sins deserve death under God’s perfect law and to flee from the practice of sin, to the practice of righteousness.

Acknowledge that your sins are exceedingly great before your Holy Creator, and by faith believe that God’s mercy through the blood of Jesus Christ is even greater than your sins. Do not see your sins as too small to require God’s mercy, nor as to great to be covered by God’s mercy.

You cannot attain salvation through human achievement. (God is opposed to the proud). You must wholly trust in Jesus – the divine accomplishment. Trust in His sinless life, His sacrificial death and His victorious resurrection. (God gives grace to the humble).

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because small is the gate and narrow is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

"All I am is a mouthpiece giving God's message, and it is up to Him to perform the work in the hearts of the people."

"The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, 'O God, forgive me,' or 'Help me'."