I asked Amelia twice not to encourage her baby brother to do something she’s heard me ask him not to do so when she did for the third time, I got down on her eye level and took a moment to explain a truth every child of God needs to remember and meditate on often. Jesus died so that our sins might be forgiven and the power of sin broken. Amelia is beginning to understand what Jesus did in obedience to God because He loved the world so much. (John 3:16, Romans 5:8) She sees the beautiful stained glass windows at church of Jesus on the cross and she hears Bible stories complete with colorful cartoon illustrations. She has yet to appreciate the gravity of His sacrifice or to receive it personally but so have many people much older than she. I could see the wheels turning so I waited for her reply.
“How did they get the nails out of Jesus’s hands?” she asked. “I’d imagine they yanked them out,” I answered. “Ohhh! That hurt!” she winced. “Nope! He was dead. Dead people don’t feel anything,” I offered. She stood, staring at me like I had three heads. I gave her a minute before continuing. “Jesus died on the cross and he stayed dead for three days but then what happened?” “He came alive,” she answered, relief changing her formerly incredulous face into a broad smile.
Has the realization of what God did for you in Jesus permeated your heart and mind? Have you received God’s gift of salvation? Is Jesus Lord of your life? Put another way, has the fact that Jesus took the punishment you deserve for your sin against holy God on Himself on the cross impacted your your choices, your habits or your thoughts and actions?
““If you love me, obey my commandments.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.
He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth.
The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him.
But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.
Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me.
And because they love me, my Father will love them.
And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.
All who love me will do what I say.
My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.
Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me.
And remember, my words are not my own.
What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me.
But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”
John 14:15-17, 21, 23-24, 26 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.14.15-26.NLT
There are diverging theologies prevalent in the world that may sound Christian but in fact are farthest from what Christ taught. One claims the cross provides unqualified forgiveness for every person on earth and all are destined for eternal bliss period. Another calls on God’s all sufficient grace as license to continue in one’s chosen lifestyle, assured of a heavenly eternity while remaining answerable to no one. Neither ideology aligns with the Truth of God’s Word. Jesus’s death on the cross does provide forgiveness of sin for all who believe.
Jesus said, “For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.””
John 6:40 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.6.40.NLT
“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”
John 1:12 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.1.12.NLT
“But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.
(It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)
God saved you by his grace when you believed.
And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.”
Ephesians 2:4-5, 8 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/eph.2.4-8.NLT
Jesus was speaking to His twelve disciples when he said to love Me is to obey My commands yet He addresses every believer in every generation in the same way He prayed, “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.”
John 17:20 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.17.20.NLT
There is a simplicity to the gospel that must not be ignored. To accept by faith that God in Christ has satisfied His own wrath and righteous judgement against us by placing my sin and yours on Jesus at the cross is what makes salvation a gift. What we earn for our sin is death but the free gift of God is abundant and eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23) What is free to us cost Jesus everything.
“We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives.
We are no longer slaves to sin.
For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.
And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him.
We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again.
Death no longer has any power over him.
When he died, he died once to break the power of sin.
But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God.
So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.”
Romans 6:6-12 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.6.6-12.NLT
“We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.
And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight.
He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.”
Romans 3:22-24 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.3.23-24.NLT
“We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them.
We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.
And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God.
And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ.
He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.
Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.”
1 John 5:18-21 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/1jn.5.18-21.NLT
I love Amelia and I pray daily that she will grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. I want to see her loving God with all her heart and soul, mind and strength and so I make the most of every opportunity, knowing she is watching to see whether my actions align with what I claim to believe and I want to be found faithful.
“Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God.”
Hebrews 12:15 NLT
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