Getting In
1 John 1:5
[ Walking in the light ] This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
He is 100% pure, spotless, perfectly loving and perfectly just. And so how do I stand a chance as the messed up person that I am to ever stand in the magnificent presence of God?
By what means do I gain entrance to Heaven?
It isn't that God wouldn't want to welcome me in regardless, but there can be no darkness in the presence of 100% light. It's not possible. Where there is unadulterated love there cannot be even a hint of less.
Being good for cosmic brownie points makes no sense. And is a burdensome way to live...Even the sweetest person on the planet has come up short somewhere along the way.
Following a set of rules is futile since I can refrain from murder but still be a hateful person in my heart.
Rituals simply prove that I can do rote religious activity. How does that heal my sickness of soul?
I'm hopeless. Screwed up. I'm selfish when I should love. I shut down when I should be lending an ear. I judge when I should be judged.
Need I go on?
I want to stand in the presence of my Heavenly Father. To love Him and relate to Him, to play and laugh with Him. But how??
The answer?
It has been given to me...And I have to to share it.
The answer isn't how but WHO.
The Good News is that my Heavenly Father is the best dad there could ever be. Because he stepped off of the bench and paid my bond. He opened the door to His house for me through the part of Him called Jesus.
Jesus put onto himself everything I have ever done that has made me feel like the lump of dirt that I am. He killed those things for me because I was powerless.
And He died doing it.
He came back. Of course He did. He is God. The great I am...Nothing exists without Him.
My sin, however, did not come back.
So why is Earth still Hellish? Because when people walk around believing that God doesn't love them, couldn't love them because of what they've done, then they are living under a lie.
Hell is seperation from the life-giving God. This can be a present reality and can extend into eternity unless we accept the Truth.
People who speak Churchese always prattle on about THE TRUTH, don't they?
So, what is the TRUTH?
Here it is:
What He did for me He did for all of us.
Christ has made us new. And if we will only abide in Him, then we can have the keys to the Kingdom. When we enter that Kingdom, God sees us as the perfect Children that He created us to be.
The gates of Hell cannot prevail against this Truth. If everyone believed this even if they didn't feel it or fully understand it, but just accepted it as the unearned gift that it is, then the enemy would flee.
So, go on...take it...Hold it in your heart and say "Thank you, THANK YOU, Lord!"
Your life will show for it. God's Spirit - the Spirit that dwells in Christ - will take up residence in you and begin to work. You will still stumble, you will still fall, but you WILL overcome.
You will sow in tears and struggle but reap abundant, unending joy.
Believe it, my fellows.
Believe it and walk in Shalom.
[ Walking in the light ] This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
He is 100% pure, spotless, perfectly loving and perfectly just. And so how do I stand a chance as the messed up person that I am to ever stand in the magnificent presence of God?
By what means do I gain entrance to Heaven?
It isn't that God wouldn't want to welcome me in regardless, but there can be no darkness in the presence of 100% light. It's not possible. Where there is unadulterated love there cannot be even a hint of less.
Being good for cosmic brownie points makes no sense. And is a burdensome way to live...Even the sweetest person on the planet has come up short somewhere along the way.
Following a set of rules is futile since I can refrain from murder but still be a hateful person in my heart.
Rituals simply prove that I can do rote religious activity. How does that heal my sickness of soul?
I'm hopeless. Screwed up. I'm selfish when I should love. I shut down when I should be lending an ear. I judge when I should be judged.
Need I go on?
I want to stand in the presence of my Heavenly Father. To love Him and relate to Him, to play and laugh with Him. But how??
The answer?
It has been given to me...And I have to to share it.
The answer isn't how but WHO.
The Good News is that my Heavenly Father is the best dad there could ever be. Because he stepped off of the bench and paid my bond. He opened the door to His house for me through the part of Him called Jesus.
Jesus put onto himself everything I have ever done that has made me feel like the lump of dirt that I am. He killed those things for me because I was powerless.
And He died doing it.
He came back. Of course He did. He is God. The great I am...Nothing exists without Him.
My sin, however, did not come back.
So why is Earth still Hellish? Because when people walk around believing that God doesn't love them, couldn't love them because of what they've done, then they are living under a lie.
Hell is seperation from the life-giving God. This can be a present reality and can extend into eternity unless we accept the Truth.
People who speak Churchese always prattle on about THE TRUTH, don't they?
So, what is the TRUTH?
Here it is:
What He did for me He did for all of us.
Christ has made us new. And if we will only abide in Him, then we can have the keys to the Kingdom. When we enter that Kingdom, God sees us as the perfect Children that He created us to be.
The gates of Hell cannot prevail against this Truth. If everyone believed this even if they didn't feel it or fully understand it, but just accepted it as the unearned gift that it is, then the enemy would flee.
So, go on...take it...Hold it in your heart and say "Thank you, THANK YOU, Lord!"
Your life will show for it. God's Spirit - the Spirit that dwells in Christ - will take up residence in you and begin to work. You will still stumble, you will still fall, but you WILL overcome.
You will sow in tears and struggle but reap abundant, unending joy.
Believe it, my fellows.
Believe it and walk in Shalom.
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