“Therefore,
since we have
been justified
through faith,
we
have peace with
God through our
Lord Jesus
Christ, through
whom we have
gained access by
faith into this
grace in which
we now stand.
And we
boast in
the hope of the
glory of God.
Not only so, but
we also glory in
our sufferings,
because we know
that suffering
produces
perseverance;
perseverance,
character; and
character, hope.
And hope does
not put us to
shame, because
God’s love has
been poured out
into our hearts
through the Holy
Spirit, who has
been given to
us” (Romans
5:1-5, NIV).
Our walk with
Jesus is a
lifetime
journey. We will
suffer for Him
in our own ways,
some more than
others, but the
troubles we face
will create for
us perseverance
for our walk
with Jesus.
God knows
each and every
one of us. He
knows our
thoughts, our
desires, but
most important,
He knows our
hearts. Because
He knows each
one of us, He
therefore loves
each one of us.
He loves us so
much, that He
wants us to be
with Him in
heaven.
God is
sinless and
because we are
sinful
creatures, He
had to make a
way for us to be
with Him. To do
this, He sent
his Son─His only
Son─into the
world to be a
sacrifice for
our sins, and
His name is:
Jesus Christ.
Christ died for
our sins so that
we could be
God’s children.
The blood of
Jesus washed
away our sins so
that we may be
with the Lord in
heaven for all
eternity.
This
sacrifice is a
gift. This gift
is not earned
but was freely
given by Christ
to make a way
for us to be
sinless in the
sight of God so
we can spend
eternity with
Him. All you
have to do is to
accept Him into
your heart and
believe that He
is the risen Son
of God.
The walk with
Jesus is a
lifetime
journey. As you
walk with Jesus,
learn about Him
and His
teachings and
commandments,
your life will
change for the
better. The
journey may seem
hard at times
because the
world will do
its best to make
you stray from
your walk with
Jesus. The
journey is worth
the trouble you
will find when
you walk with
Jesus. This is
the greatest
adventure you
can have.
Nothing in the
world is more
fulfilling and
satisfying than
being one with
Jesus and
following His
ways.
If you know
Jesus, you
understand what
I’m saying. The
journey is
filled with
troubles from
the world that
will do its best
make us stray
from our walk
with Jesus. The
world is filled
with all sorts
of trouble, sin
to be more
exact, that if
tricked into
following, will
take you off the
path you are
walking with
Jesus. Do we all
fail in this?
Yes, but we can
ask for
forgiveness when
we stray and can
be led back to
the path of
righteousness
every day be
renewing our
relationship
with Christ by
confessing our
sins and
following his
ways.
For me, this
is a daily
occurrence. I
sin every day,
not necessarily
in action, but
in thoughts and
desires of
worldly
temptations. I
must do my best
to resist these
temptations and
if I fail, Jesus
is there to help
me get back on
my feet and lead
me back to the
narrow path
toward His
eternity.
The world is
full of sinful
temptations that
we are faced
with every day,
the troubles we
face in our walk
with Jesus. We
must resist
those sinful
actions and
allow Jesus and
the Holy Spirit
to lead us
throughout each
day as we
navigate this
sin filled world
we are
surrounded by.
This can be
difficult
because our
culture is
centered now on
sinful actions
and ungodly ways
that Satan uses
to try to get us
to get off
course in our
walk with Jesus.
We need to
persevere. Each
day is a new day
that God has
blessed us with.
Each day is
another
opportunity to
get closer to
the Lord and to
learn and
practice His
ways and
commands for us
as Christians.
We must
persevere to the
end, to finish
our walk with
Jesus until it
is time for us
to meet Him face
to face in
heaven. The walk
may be hard at
times, but in
the grand scheme
of eternity, our
walk is short.
Perseverance
is always
looking forward
and looking up.
Put each day
behind you and
don’t reflect on
the sins you
have committed
and have been
forgiven.
Always
look forward and
look up for the
Lord. Pray hard
and study hard,
every day.
In trials and
troubles,
persevere in
Jesus. Persevere
in your walk
with Jesus and
rebuke the
temptations
Satan throws
your way. Satan
knows your
weaknesses and
will try to
capitalize on
them to drive a
wedge between
you and your
Savior. He will
use every trick
he has to make
you think you
are unworthy and
to steer you to
a path of
destruction.
Maybe your
weakness is
alcohol, or
pornography, or
drugs, lust, or
whatever is
contrary to the
commands of
Christ. It is
your duty as a
Christian to
resist those
temptations and
persevere in
your walk with
Christ.
Will you mess
up and slip at
times? Yes, of
course you will
because we are
all sinful
creatures by
nature. It’s
what you do
after you slip
up that matters.
Do you continue
down the path of
destruction or
do you pray for
forgiveness and
strength to not
slip again?
Persevere and
ask for
forgiveness and
renew your mind
and heart in
Christ Jesus.
For
unbelievers who
are reading
this, this may
all seem foreign
to you. You
think you are
doing fine
living in the
world without
Jesus and His
free gift of
salvation. What
you don’t
realize is that
without Jesus as
the center of
your existence
and daily life,
you are on the
path to
destruction;
meaning you are
destined to
spend eternity
in hell and not
in heaven.
Sounds pretty
harsh, right?
It’s true.
Eternal life in
heaven is found
only through
Christ Jesus.
“For God so
loved the world
that he gave his
one and only
Son, that
whoever believes
in him shall not
perish but have
eternal life.
For God did not
send his Son
into the world
to condemn the
world, but to
save the world
through him”
(John 3:16-17,
NIV).
You see my
unbelieving
brothers and
sisters, God
loved you enough
that He
sacrificed His
Son to take on
all of the sins
of mankind from
all time so you
can make the
choice to spend
eternity with
Jesus in heaven
or deny Him and
spend eternity
in hell. It is
that simple.
If you don’t
know Jesus, the
verse above from
the book of John
makes no sense.
It means nothing
to you but words
of zealous
Christians. I
hope though that
your interest in
finding out
about Jesus has
tickled your
mind a little
bit so that you
will desire to
seek out more
information
about Jesus.
Know this:
You are full of
sin, just like
Christians. The
difference
between
Christians and
nonbelievers is
that we
Christians have
accepted Jesus
and the
sacrifice He
made for us on
the cross when
He died for our
sins. We believe
in His
teachings, His
life, and most
importantly, His
resurrection. By
believing in
Jesus, our
sins─past,
present, and
future─have been
forgiven by our
faith in His
sacrifice for
us. His blood
was the
sacrifice for
our sins so we
are made clean
and blameless at
the judgment.
All you have
to do to attain
eternal life is
to believe in
the name of
Jesus, that He
died for your
sins, and was
resurrected from
the dead and is
your Advocate to
God the Father.
Through Jesus,
your sins are
forgiven. You
can’t earn
heaven by doing
good deeds, or
leading a moral
life, or being a
good person. You
need Jesus to
enter into
eternity with
Him and that is
grace. By grace,
you don’t have
to do anything
to earn heaven,
but by grace
through Jesus
Christ, you have
that access to
heaven.
After you
truly and
sincerely accept
Jesus as your
Lord and Savior,
you will become
part of the
family of God,
one of His
beloved
children. You
will change.
Your heart will
begin to soften
and you will be
filled with love
and compassion
and a desire to
want to know
Jesus more and
to walk with Him
on the path to
eternity.
You will be
filled with the
Holy Spirit that
will be there as
your guide and
teacher to the
things of Jesus.
You will want to
do the will of
Jesus, to
participate in
his plan of
salvation with
you. You will be
given gifts of
the Holy Spirit
and you will
want to use
those gifts for
the furtherance
of the kingdom
of God through
works and deeds
inspired to you
from the Holy
Spirit. All you
have to do is
accept the gift
of salvation.
Ask Jesus
right now to
come into your
heart. You won’t
be disappointed.
If you have been
walking with
Jesus but have
strayed off His
path for you,
now is the time
to renew your
relationship
with him and ask
for strength to
get back on the
path of
righteousness
and ask for the
strength to
persevere to the
end.
“But
you, dear
friends, by
building
yourselves up in
your most holy
faith and
praying in the
Holy Spirit,
keep
yourselves in
God’s love as
you wait for the
mercy of our
Lord Jesus
Christ to bring
you to eternal
life” (Jude
1:20-21, NIV).
God bless.
John Lysaught
john_lysaught@yahoo.com