God's Goodness
Adam Otsen Otsen@sj.bigger.net
Thu, 14 Aug 1997 21:06:27 -0700 (00871639587, 33F3D5C2.9340CB3A@sj.bigger.net)
Jeff Epler wrote:
> On Thu, Aug 14, 1997 at 06:05:22PM -0700, Adam Otsen wrote:
> > Jesus Christ is the Only Way to Get to Heaven and the Bible is the
> Map
> > to guid everyone who belives.Don't Email me back, you made your
> choices
> > I will make mine.
>
> Adam, are you a Christian, then?
>
> I've asked one other supposed Christian to pray for me, asking God
> that
> I become a Christian at that instant, but I haven't yet. (Perhaps he
> lacked faith) Will you please pray the same thing?
>
> I read in your bible that if you believe, you will get what you pray
> for---Matthew 21:21-22. So if that statement is true and you believe
> and you pray that I become a Christian that instant, then I will
> become a Christian that instant. If I don't, then one of those things
>
> must have been false.
>
> I know that you will not be reluctant to pray for me, because the
> bible
> (Matthew 5:39-44) directs you to pray for those who are your enemies,
> and I assume that you consider someone who is currently an atheist to
> be among your enemies--if not personally, then in the "eternal
> struggle
> between good and evil," let us say. Also, it directs that if someone
> asks you for something, you should give it to him. So since I am
> against you, you should pray for me and since I ask you for it you
> should pray for me. Pray for me that I become a Christian at the
> moment of your prayer and forever after. (Better yet, pray that
> everyone becomes a Christian!)
>
> So if you pray this prayer, and yet I do not become a Christian, then
> either the bible lies or you do not have faith. I am anxious to know
> if this is the case.
>
> If I do not become Christian and you believe it may be because you
> have no
> faith, (Of course, if you don't have faith, but the bible is correct,
> then
> you are in hot water. Romans 3:22-28 makes this clear. Without
> faith,
> you are not justified---In other words, in the same boat you believe
> me to be.) then please ask others in your church to pray that Jeff
> Epler become Christian at the moment they pray it, prehaps one of them
>
> has faith... You might also post this message on Christian
> newsgroups,
> put in church bulletins, discussed on Christian talk radio, ....
>
> So if my outlook changes suddenly, I will be the first to proclaim it
> to the world, but if my heart stays committed to atheism, I will not
> hesitate to call you faithless. If after a few thousand Christians
> have had the chance to pray for me, I stay the same, I will say that I
>
> have proof positive (as good as the demonstrations of gravity) that
> your bible is a lie and that your god does not exist.
>
> Please start praying soon---According to your book, I have a maximum
> of 97 3/4 years left on earth, tops. (Genesis 3:6; I'm just over 22)
> Every day you delay in praying that the world's people become
> Christian,
> about 200,000 people die (Figuring a low-side population estimate of 5
>
> billion and a high life-expectancy estimate of 68 years), and at least
>
> half of them are dying non-Christian just because nobody with faith
> has
> prayed that they become Christian....
>
> Jeff
> --
> \/ jepler@inetnebr.com http://incolor.inetnebr.com/jepler/
> (0|1(01*0)*1)+
> A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance.
I will pray for you Jeff. If you realy believe Matthew 21:21-22 then I
believe you will become saved. However, the whole Bible is true not
just something that happens to fit your situation. God did give his son
to pay the price for mine and your sins. Becoming saved isn't like
joining a club where if you get enought votes you get in. The Bible
contains both Bad News and Good News. The bad news is something about
You. The good news is something about God. Let's look at the bad news
first... You are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God. "Sinned" means that whe have missed the
mark. When we lie, hate, lust, or gossip, we have missed the standard
God has set. Suppose you and I were each to throw a rock and try to hit
the North Pole. You might throw farther tan I, but neither of us would
hit it. When the Bible says, "All have sinned and fall short," it means
that we have all come short of God's standard of perfection. In
thoughts, words, and deeds, we have not been perfect. But the badnews
gets worse... The penalty for sin is death. Romans 6:23 says, "The
wages of sin is death." Suppose you worked for me for one day and I
paid you $50. That $50 was your wages. That's what you earned. The
Bible says that by sinning we have earned death. That means we deserve
to die and be separated fom God forever. But, since there was no way we
could come to God, the Bible says that God came to us! Romans 5:8 tells
us, "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we wre still
sinners, Christ died for us." Suppose you are in a hospital dying of
cancer. I come to and say, "Let's take the cancer cells from your body
an put them into my body." If that were possible, What would happen to
me? What would happen to you? I would die in your place. I would die
instead of you. The Bible says Christ took the penalty that we deserved
for sin, placed it upon Himself, and died in our place. Three days
later Christ came back to life to prove that sin and death had been
conquered and that His claims to be God were true. Just as the bad news
got worse, the good news gets better! Ephesians 2:8,9 says, "For by
grace (undeserved favor) you have been saved (delivered from sin's
penalty) through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of
God, not of works, that no one should boast." Faith means trust. What
must you trust Christ for? You must depend on Him alone to forgive you
and to give you eternal life. Just as you trust a chair to hold you
through no effort of your own, so you muyst trust Jesus Christ to get
you to heaven through no effort of your own. But you say, I go to
church, I don't steal, I'm a good person, I help the poor, or I'm
religious. These are all good but they cannot get you to heaven. You
must trust in Jesus Christ alone, and God will give you eternal life as
a gift! Does this make sense to you? Would you like to tell God you
are trusting Jesus Christ as your Savior? If you would, why not pray
right now and tell God you are trusting His Son? It is not a prayer
that saves you It is trusting Jesus Christ that saves you Prayer is
simply how you can tell God what you are doing.
"Dear God, I know I am a sinner.
I know my sin deserves to be punished.
I believe Christ died for me and rose from the grave.
I trust Jesus Christ alone as my Savior.
Thank You for the forgiveness and verlasting life I now have.
In Jesus name, amen."
If you were sincer in you hart this is what just happend, John 5:24
explains, "He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has
everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from
death into life." Did "hear" God's word? Did you "believe" what God
said and trust Christ as your Savior? Does "has everlasting life" mean
later or right now? Does it say "shall not come into judgment" or might
not? Does it say "has passed from death" or shall pass? Eternal life
is based on fact, not feeling. Memorize John 5:24 today. What do you
do now? Having trusted Christ as your only way to heaven, here's how to
grow in your relationship with him. Tell God what's on your mind
through prayer. Philippians 4:6,7 Read the Bible every day (2 Timothy
3:16, 17). Start in the book of Philippians. Worship with God's people
in a local church (Hebrews 10:24,25). Tell others about Jesus Christ
(Matthew 4:19).
Adam