#god gave his only son for our salvation

[livingfortheheartofchrist]

“Let the wicked one abandon his way and the sinful one his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, so he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will freely forgive.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55‬:‭7‬ ‭

[cath-lic]

Hello, I was wondering if you believe non-Christians can be saved? I know many Catholics believe everyone that doesn't accept Jesus will go to hell. Personally, I find this outlook very sad and I was curious on other points of view so please anyone respond with their own opinions. I mean to ask you this: If God is love and is forgiving of our sins, why would he send everyone to hell simply because they could not find their way to him?

hi!! YES absolutely everyone is saved!! now, everyone and their brother has a conflicting opinion on this, but i’ll throw in my two cents.

my first, more concrete point: john 3:16. the everyman’s verse!!

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

okay, but what if someone doesn’t believeth? vatican ii’s lumen gentium, no. 16, also covers this. (italics added by me)

Those also can attain to everlasting salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the gospel of Christ or his Church, yet sincerely seek God and, moved by grace, strive by their deeds to do his will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience. Nor does divine Providence deny the help necessary for salvation to those who, without blame on their part, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God, but who strive to live a good life, thanks to his grace.

however, it’s important to note LG no. 14. bear with me here.

Whosoever knowing that the Catholic Church was made necessary by God through Jesus Christ would refuse to enter her or to remain in her could not be saved.

i’m not a theologian, i’m just joe off the street—so i may be taking things out of context. forgive me!

however—as much as i am catholic, i believe that this is putting WAY too much importance on the catholic church as we know it today. it is far, far different than the original organization founded upon the rock of st. peter, and i believe that there are many things that god takes issue with in the catholic church (notoriously, jesus criticized large institutions like these). therefore, i don’t know how much i believe that the catholic church today, nor as a whole, was made necessary by god through christ.

my second point: my most fervent belief is that god is love. pretty much all of my friends are atheists, and they are kind and caring and loving people. it is, therefore, impossible for me to believe that they are not saved.

my second-and-a-half point: i take a little bit of issue with your phrasing of “send” to hell.

personally, i believe that hell is not necessarily Dante’s inferno, but a place of complete and total separation from god. i also believe that hell is not a place you are sent to, but rather a place you send yourself.

i mentioned purgatory in my earlier answer to a different anon; this is where that comes in. i generally concur with pope francis when he says that he likes to think of hell as empty (note: he was not issuing doctrine here). i believe that in purgatory, 99.999% (you get it) of people, if not 100%, are able to reconcile with god and see the consequences of their decisions, good and bad, throughout their life.

you know when you tell someone something that is true, but they keep on rejecting it, no matter what evidence you show them? that’s what i imagine is happening to the other .001%.

god is endlessly patient; he doesn’t mind spending eons trying to convince others to have empathy for their fellow man. however, humans are not as patient. they get fed up and walk away—and this is my (limited) understanding of the process of going to hell.

i’ll be honest, i don’t know if hell is permanent, temporary, etc. i’m not sure how helpful it is to debate it, either. but what i do know is very helpfully summarized in this post by the lovely hymnsofheresy.

whenever i have doubts about some aspect of what i believe being incorrect, i remind myself that god is love. he loves us more than anything in the world, and nothing we can do will ever change that. he doesn’t look for reasons for you to go to hell; he wants to be with us all the time.

thank you for sending in this ask, and i hope it helped ❤️❤️❤️

[10yrsyart]

the Lord Jesus is coming quickly!

"For the Lord Himself will come down from Heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

Jesus, the Son of God, gave His life and shed His blood for the payment of your sins. by acknowledging your sinful nature, and trusting in Him as the only means of salvation, you're included in this event! For Jesus promised in John 14:2-3, "There are many rooms in My Father's house (..) I go to prepare a place for you (..) When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so you will always be with Me where I am."

God poured out His wrath for our sins onto Jesus' body on the cross; once and for all time (Hebrews 9:28). Therefore we the Church, as the Body of Christ, cannot be here to experience God's Wrath again (1 Thessalonians 5:9). the Tribulation that is coming is the time of God's Wrath; a testing period for those still covered by their sin (Isaiah 26:20-21). but He promised He would take His followers out of the way before it comes (Revelation 3:10). we will be taken to the safe places He has prepared for us.

the time is much sooner that you think! please turn to the Lord while there is still time, He loves you and has done EVERYTHING necessary to provide salvation for you. the Tribulation will be the worst time in human history, and God desires that no one go through it. listen to the still, small Voice that is calling you to repentance. He is calling you home!

[thehermittheywarnedyouabout]

Are you ever just going about your day when it really hits you like God, as in THE ONLY God sent Its son to Earth?! God literally walked the Earth??!! Not only that, He came to SAVE US? He gave His life for our salvation!? GOD WALKED THE EARTH. He BLED and DIED for US?!!!?!!?!! AND He continues to give His Body and Blood for our salvation every day all around the world? It just hits me sometimes how incredibly awesome and literally amazing it is. How blessed are we!!!

I think it’s easy for it to become mundane when it’s one’s everyday life and routine but sometimes it really hits me, like, wow, that actually happened, holy shit (pun intended). I’m so grateful to get to experience this awe.

[tinyladofladdies]

what is the Gospel?

history . .

there is one God in 3 persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

God existed before anything else did; He created all things perfectly, including human beings, who He made in His image (Genesis 1:1, 26-28, John 1:1-3). God is the only holy, perfect Being in existence, and He created us to know Him forever.

God created humanity to partner with Him in ruling His perfect creation, however, humanity quickly fell into rebellion when adam & eve listened to temptation from satan, the serpent. the serpent twisted God's Word and adam & eve trusted in their own judgement rather than God's and listened to their selfish desire to define good and evil for themselves instead of letting God show them what was holy & good (Genesis 3).

adam & eve were cast out from God's perfect garden, severing ALL of humanity's relationship with God and separating us from His presence. because of this original sin (disobeying and distorting God's Word), all of humanity is born in a sinful state. the serpent, too, was cast from the garden and since the original sin, has been influencing the world into more and more evil, temptation, and distance from God. however, God promised that there would be a Descendant from eve Who would crush the serpent's head and defeat him (Genesis 3:14-15).

the sinful state of humanity causes all of us to be separated from God from birth and into eternity; sin cannot coexist with utter purity & holiness (Romans 6:23, 8:7-8).

God stayed faithful in taking care of humanity even despite our separation from Him; He made promises to abraham, isaac, and jacob, and their descendants (the jewish nation israel named after jacob), that they would be God's people and He would be their God (Genesis 22:17, Jeremiah 32: 38). He promised to multiply them, making them a countlessly large nation, to set them apart from the other nations to show the world what God is like (Deuteronomy 7:6), and to send them a Savior who would restore all things and bring justice (Isaiah 9:6). God gave them His Word and fulfilled every promise to them; He rescued His people many times from oppression and the downfall of their own mistakes, yet not even His holy people could stay obedient to God. God gave them His law (found in the 5 books of the Torah) to show His people how to be holy (set apart) and to show them who He is and what He values; in order to be worthy to enter God's presence, there would be animal sacrifices and sanctification rituals (Leviticus 16:21) in order to atone for the sins of Israel (God's people), yet none of His people were perfect and kept rebelling against Him.

God started sending prophets into the world, spoken to by His Holy Spirit who divinely inspired the Word of God (the entire Bible), to warn Israel of the gravity of their sins; soon, if God's people would keep participating in evil and turning away from God, they would be exiled from all of the peace and possessions God had promised them and fulfilled them with.

the prophets spoke of Jesus, who, centuries later, fulfilled every single prophecy spoken of Him . .

The Good News . .

Jesus is God, described as the Son of God and the Word of God become human; Jesus took on human flesh yet stayed completely sinless (Hebrews 4:15). He gave His life in the place of all of humanity, not just Israel, in order to extend God's grace, salvation, and presence, to anyone of any background who would repent and call upon Him (Hebrews 2:17, Galatians 3:8).

"The Gospel" means "the Good news."

to repent, means to completely turn around.

atone, means to make amends.

Jesus became the sacrificial lamb (symbolically) in order to fulfill the law of sacrifice that God's people used to participate in in order to enter God's presence (John 1:29, 1 Peter 1:19); because Jesus is God and was the only One holy enough to perfectly atone, this means that Jesus' sacrifice not only fulfilled every law and prophecy, but humanity finally had the chance to be in right-standing with God (1 Timothy 2:5). this means, that instead of being enemies of God, being estranged or distant from God, we now have the right to become God's children, His people, and His friends (Romans 5:10, John 1:12). to repent of our sins, means to pray to God our Father and confess our sinful nature, our rebellion, and the things we have done that have hurt our relationship with God as well as hurt ourselves & those around us. by confessing, we ask for God's forgiveness, we confess who Jesus is and what He did for us, and through this, we receive the Holy Spirit who testifies that we are God's children and Who seals our salvation in Heaven for eternity (Romans 8:16, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

Jesus came to earth as a human, yet also 100% God; He lived a perfect life, started His ministry at 30 years old, baptised, healed, drove out demons, and taught of God's character, Word, and Kingdom. Jesus was persecuted by the nation of Israel in order to fulfill the prophecies, He died on a cross, was tortured and killed in our place, and after 3 days He rose from the dead, to fulfill every prophecy (Mark 8:31). in Jesus' death and resurrection, He defeated our sins, He defeated the enemy (satan), and He defeated death. setting us free, giving us eternal life and forgiveness from the Father if we repent and believe that this is Who Jesus Is.

in Jesus, there is forgiveness, peace, healing, joy, & hope (Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Peter 1:3). God heals, God saves, God loves, His Spirit guides and reassures every believer and Jesus completely sets us free; no matter what you have said or done, no matter how much seems to hold you back, Jesus breaks every chain and meets us where we are, however, He loves us too much to leave us as we are. Jesus gives us the ability to live the life of righteousness (right-living) that God intended for us that we were not able to fruitfully & fully do without Jesus and without God's active help. for all time, God has kept His promises and His Word, He has kept His covenant with those He chose to be His people, and while those people always failed, Jesus never has and never will; Jesus fulfilled our side of the covenant, He paid the price that had to be paid for our sins, and in doing so, we can now have relationship with God for eternity, we can now partner with God in loving His people and doing the work of His Kingdom. God is always near, always present, and desires to help you, heal you, and save you.

there will be more Bible verses below that specifically address salvation & repentance; if you need more context or have more questions, this is a safe space to do so. <3

Acts 4:12 — Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

John 14:6 — Jesus answered, "I am the way, the Truth, and the life. no one comes to the Father except through Me."

Acts 2:38 — Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

John 3:16-17 — 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.

Romans 8:38-39 — For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 10:9-10 — If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Hebrews 7:25 — Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.

Luke 5:31-31 — Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Acts 3:19 — Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,

Mark 16:16 — Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Romans 10:13 — for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 3:23 — for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Acts 22:16 — And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

‭‭Romans‬ ‭6:23‬ ‭— For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝

◌🌊🐚Ꮚ°˳´ creds . .

dividers: roseraris

[walkswithmyfather]

Romans 3:23-27 (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. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin.

People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.”

“The Justice and Mercy of the Cross” By In Touch Ministries:

“Jesus willingly gave His life for us. Have you accepted His gift of salvation?”

“The cross of Christ presents a dilemma. If God is loving and good, why would He let His Son endure the agony of crucifixion? From a human perspective, nothing about that seems loving. But by looking past the obvious, we’ll see an amazing demonstration of love.

To grasp what took place at the cross, we first need to understand that God is righteous and just. He does what’s right and never acts contrary to His nature or Word. On the other hand, mankind is sinful. God’s justice requires that a penalty be paid for sin. However, God is also merciful. So how could He exercise both justice and great mercy?

Before the foundation of the world, He already had the plan in place. So when the time was right, His sinless Son came to earth in human flesh to bear our sins (1 Peter 1:18-20). The Father placed on Him all our guilt and punishment. Since the Savior’s payment fully satisfied divine justice, sinful man could now be declared righteous. Justice punished sin, and mercy rescued sinners.

No matter who you are or what you’ve done, if you accept Christ’s sacrifice on your behalf, you will be saved. God’s goodness and love are proved by the cross. This was the sole plan that could save us, and God’s perfect Son was the only one qualified to give His life in our place. What’s more, Jesus did it willingly.”

[angelique-fireheart]

In Touch Bible Study Notes "Overcoming Inadequacy" 08/12/2024

"At one time or another, we've all dealt with feelings of inadequacy. Maybe it's because we lost our temper with our spouse, missed an important work deadline, or were too afraid to say yes to an opportunity at church. How did you feel afterwards? Maybe you were frustrated with yourself or felt as if you didn't measure up. In today's passage, Paul asks a question that points to this common insecurity. "Who is adequate for these things?" (v. 16)

Here's the good news: We are inadequate--but God isn't. And when we trust Him as our Lord and Savior, we become His children and He gives us His righteousness (John 1:12; 2 Corinthians 5:21) He empowers us and has promised to lead us "in triumph in Christ" (2:14). But unless we believe Him and step out in faith, we'll never experience the life He has planned for us.

Feeling inadequate isn't a sin, but using inadequacy as an excuse is. When God calls us to do something that feels beyond our abilities, we have two choices: We can focus on Christ and proceed in triumph or focus on ourselves and withdraw in defeat. It's really a matter of faith. God will always empower us to do what He asks us to accomplish. This doesn't mean we'll do everything perfectly, but each step of obedience is a victory that He will bless. (Psalm 128:1-2)."

My thoughts on this study are as follows:

It's okay to feel like we aren't enough. We are only human, and as such, we have emotions. But not allowing ourself to be the best we can be because we use that as the above study shows, "as an excuse," that is wrong. God has given us the power to do everything He set in our heart. We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus. We are inadequate, but we serve THE God of the Universe. He created everything, and us too. He gave us His Son, His only Son, Jesus, so that we may be able to be saved from our sin. Hell is a very real place, and unless we accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, and believe that He lived, died, and rose from the Grave so that He goes on living even today, for our Salvation, then we are just another one among the lost. We also have a given responsibility, and that is to share the Gospel with as many as we can, so they can experience the joy we do, and so they can know Jesus as well. God thought we were enough. He made us and decided to keep us. He loves us so much more than we can ever understand. So we should never think we aren't enough. We are.

Verses read:

Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: to the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 KJV

But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.) full of grace and truth.

John 1:12-14 KJV

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, by ye reconciled to God. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

2nd Corinthians 5:20-21 KJV

Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; That walketh in His ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: Happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

Psalm 128:1-2 KJV

[orthodoxadventure]

Our Lord is boundless, and His love is ineffable. We should approach Him openheartedly and be with Him at all times, for He is with us constantly. He is the moving force of our life and wants us to understand His mind. All of His life here on earth among men was a natural life, accessible to us. He said that He was Love and explained to us that God so loved the world that He gave His Only-begotten Son for the salvation of man (cf. John 3:16). He revealed a great mystery to us, made many things known to us. He made us higher than all other creatures. Human nature, made higher than all of creation, entered into the mystery of the Holy and Life creating Trinity.

Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica, Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives

[traumacatholic]

May I have a prayer or two? For safety and to be protected from deceivers. I'm staying in a hotel away from family for a few days and I'm trying to help a friend out but I'm worried that they may try to take advantage of me but I don't want to abandon or push them away.

Of course, may God bless and protect you. I have attached some prayers under the readmore that you might find beneficial.

Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Saint Patrick's Breastplate Prayer

The full prayer can be found here: https://parish.rcdow.org.uk/greenford/wp-content/uploads/sites/127/2020/03/St-Patricks-Breastplate.pdf

But I often see it shortened to this part, so it comes down to personal preference how much of the prayer you want to say

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me

A Prayer in Time of Attack

O Lord, our God, pre-existing before all ages and remaining forever; who are as great in compassion as you are in uncontainable power; who because of your ineffable mercy bowed the heavens, came down on earth and became man for the salvation of sinners; who put on and immortalized our nature and ascended with it to the place from which you descended; hear from heaven and become merciful to all those who cry out to you with a broken heart. You, O Master of all, lend you ear and hear us. We know your undefeatable love for your creation and your inexhaustible goodness. Hence, we throw ourselves into the ocean of your compassions and entreat you: turn not your face from us nor cast us away from your countenance neither hand us over to those who are so furiously attacking us. Look upon us with your compassionate eye. Show us how to rise above both the visible and invisible enemies. Place in us a power from on high; encompass us with your almighty right hand; keep us under the protection of your wings; fortify us with love for one another and grant us unshakable peace. But before all and above all, instill in us your fear and your love that your holy name may also be glorified in us. Upon you alone we look, on you alone we have placed our hopes, and to you we send up the glory, together with your Father, who is without beginning, and the life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Cross

Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered; and let those who hate Him flee from His presence. As smoke vanishes, let them vanish; and as wax melts from the presence of fire, so let demons perish from the presence of those who love God and who sign themselves with the sign of the Cross and say in gladness: Hail, most precious and life-giving Cross of the Lord, for Thou drivest away the demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ crucified on thee, Who went down to hades and trampled on the power of the devil, and gave us thee, his venerable Cross, for driving away all enemies. O most precious and life-giving Cross of the Lord, help me, with our Holy Lady, the Virgin Mother of God, and with all the Saints throughout the ages. Amen.

Prayer Before Sleep

Beneath your compassion we seek refuge, Theotokos. Do not overlook our prayers, but deliver us from danger, only pure and blessed one. My hope is the Father; my refuge, the Son; my protection, the Holy Spirit. Holy Trinity, glory to you. I place all my hope in you, Mother of God. Keep me under your protection. Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy and save us. Amen.

Under the protection of your wings I shall be covered and fall asleep, for in you only, Lord, does my hope lie. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my soul and my body. Do bless me, do have mercy on me, and grant me eternal life. Amen.

Protection Prayer

Jesus, I will arise. Jesus, do thou accompany me. Jesus, do thou lock my heart into thine and let my body and my soul be commended unto thee. The Lord is crucified. May God guard and protect my senses so that misfortunes may not overcome me. In the name of God, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Prayer Against Every Evil

Spirit of our God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Most Holy Trinity, Immaculate Virgin Mary, angels, archangels, and saints of heaven, descend upon me. Please purify me, Lord, mold me, fill me with yourself, use me. Banish all the forces of evil from me, destroy them, defeat them, so that I can be healthy and do good deeds. Banish from me all spells, witchcraft, black magic, evil spells, ties, curses, and the evil eye; diabolic infestations, oppressions, possessions; all that is evil and sinful, jealousy, deceitfulness, envy; physical, psychological, moral, spiritual and diabolical ailments. Burn all these evils in hell, that they may never again touch me or any other creature in the entire world. I command and bid all the powers who assault me—by the power of God all-powerful, in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Through the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary–to leave me forever, and to be consigned into the everlasting hell where they will be bound by Saint Michael the archangel, Saint Gabriel, Saint Raphael, our guardian angels, and where they will be crushed under the heel of the Immaculate Virgin Mary.

Prayer to Your Guardian Angel

O Holy Angel, who stand by my wretched soul and my passionate life: do not abandon me, a sinner, neither depart from me because of my lack of self-control. Leave no room for the evil demon to gain control of me through the violence of this mortal body. Strengthen my weak and feeble hand, and instruct me in the path of salvation. O holy Angel of God, the guardian and protector of my wretched soul and body: forgive all the sorrows I have caused you, every day of my life. If I have sinned in this past night, protect me during this day. Keep me from every adverse temptation, that I may not anger God by any sin. Pray to the Lord for me, that He may establish me in His fear and make me, His servant, worthy of His goodness. Amen.

[momentsbeforemass]

Why did Jesus have to die?

Today’s Gospel is John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

It’s beautiful. But it also begs a question, one that I struggle with. Why did Jesus have to die?

When you ask why Jesus had to die, once you get past the basics (“Christ was killed for us, His death washed out our sins, and that by dying He disabled death itself.” – C.S. Lewis), the usual responses get into theories about how salvation works. Things like atonement, forgiveness, suffering, sin, reconciliation, etc.

Important stuff, to be sure. But it really doesn’t answer the question.

Why did Jesus have to die?

That is, if God is God, then God can do anything (that’s part of what it means to be God). So, couldn’t God have done it some other way?

The answer is an unqualified yes.

Then why didn’t God do it some other way?

The best answer that I have found (by “best,” I mean most unsettling, most disruptive to the preconceived notions and limits that I am way too comfortable putting on God’s love) comes from St. Isaac of Syrian.

“Not that God was unable to save us in another way, but in this way it was possible to show us His abundant love abundantly, namely, by bringing us near to Him by the death of His Son.

If God had anything more dear to Him, He would have given it to us.”

That last sentence is everything.

Through the greatest example possible (the way of salvation for all of humanity). One which is at the same moment the most personal example possible (because God would have done exactly the same thing if you or I were the only ones who needed to be saved). God shows us what love truly means.

Love is not an exchange. If it’s a transaction, it’s not love.

Love is not measured. If it’s limited, it’s not love.

To truly love, as God loves (the One whose very nature is love), means not counting the cost.

This is how you and I are called to love.

Because this is the love that God has for you.

Today’s Readings

[livingfortheheartofchrist]

•“For the Lord is our Judge,

•the Lord is our Lawgiver,

•the Lord is our King.

•He w̳i̳l̳l̳ save us.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭33‬:‭22‬ ‭

(“Triumph of Christianity over paganism” Gustave Doré - Oil on canvas - 1899)

[thoughtfulfoxllama]

A member of our Stake Council was doing Stake Announcements today, and he gave a quote from Pres Snow

“God has fulfilled His promises to us, and our prospects are grand and glorious. Yes, in the next life we will have our wives, and our sons and daughters. If we do not get them all at once, we will have them some time, for every knee shall bow and every tongue shallo confess that Jesus is the Christ. You that are mourning about your children straying away will have your sons and your daughters. If you succeed in passing through these trials and afflictions and recieve a resurrection, you will, by the power of the Priesthood, work and labor, as the Son of God has, until you get all your sons and daughters in the path of exaltation and glory…. Therefore, mourn not because all your sons and daughters do not follow in the path that you have marked out to them, or give heed to your counsels. Inasmuch as we succeed in securing eternal glory, and stand as saviors, and as kings and priests to our God, we will save our posterity.” Lorenzo Snow – The Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, p 195

I love this quote for a huge number of reasons. I love it because in just a few words, it tells you everything about the hereafter we need to know:

Nature of Relationships- Relationships are of endless importance. So much that we will have our loved ones with us. Elder Holland said what without Pat, heaven wouldn't be heaven (and approaching my 1 Year Anniversary, I can testify that, despite occasional disagreements and annoyances, even paradise would be a Lone & Dreary place without my wife)

Nature of God- God is not cruel, but loving. He wants all his children to be happy, and will give us chances to keep improving until we are where we want to be, with the people we want to be with

Nature of Exaltation- Spirit Adoption made more sense to me than Viviparous Birth. But regardless, part of the Station of Godhood is parenthood. I believe that President Snow is speaking not only of our Mortal Children, but our Spirit Children. We will know the Joy of seeing our children improve, of reaching your station. I believe firmly that the role of a parent is to make sure your children surpass you. While we cannot surpass God in power & authority, as we become more like him, we can eventually match him in creativity, in love, in joy, and in wisdom

Nature of Agency- The Plan of Salvation was about Agency. Lucifer sought to destroy our Agency so that "not one would be lost." How does this match with what Pres Snow said? It is not an issue of ends, but means. Mankind, I believe, will gravitate towards the Celestial Kingdom, as we are the Children of God (and God is Love). However, Mortality is an inherently Traumatic Experience, where we are blinded to our true nature. God's Plan was to let us become who we are on our terms (because he knew we would all eventually be okay), Lucifer's was to force the process (which would, ironically, not make us Celestial at all)

[livingbeyondaddiction]

John 10:10 (ESV): The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 1. What does the devil seek to steal? He seeks to steal our identity and give us a false sense of self which we then place on the throne. We idolize and worship ourselves and others, the creature, rather than the creator. In a sense brainwashed and then being barricaded inside that identity with walls all around. How do we escape our captivity and imprisonment? The only way out is to be broken. Those walls torn down and replaced with our true identity in Christ as a child of God. What does it mean to be a child of God? It means we were selected from the beginning. It means we receive an eternal inheritance and that we are adopted. Literally, grafted into son-ship as a brother or sister of Jesus. Nothing can take that away, not even the devil. We are eternally secure. Now I ask you, is that a free pass to do whatever we want because we've been set free? Absolutely not. Once we receive salvation we seek only to do His will and when we go against that we feel convicted and we strive to do as He would want. When we slip we promptly admit it and repent. I beg you to examine your hearts. Do you feel convicted when you go against the grain? Do you seek His will? Or are you just going through the motions? Have you accepted Christ or are you waiting for a different opportunity? I urge you to accept Him into your hearts while you can because the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

Ephesians 1:3–10 (ESV): Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

John 1:11–13 (ESV): He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 2. What does the devil seek to kill? He seeks to kill our purpose. What is our purpose? Our purpose is to do the will of God. The devil kills our purpose by blinding us to our purpose. The world and the prince of this world (Satan) lays a veil over our heads (eyes to see, ears to hear, and the mouth to confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior). He lays traps to ensnare us but he doesn't force us to sin, but rather tempts us with subtle suggestion. However when we stop seeking the worlds "sense of completion" and seek after the things of God Christ pulls the veil from our eyes so that we can see these traps. What are some examples of worldly things? Drugs, alcohol, sex, money, power, fame, etc. What are the things of God? Love, peace, joy, peace, righteousness, etc. Are we chasing the desires of the flesh or are we hungry and thirsty for the things of God?

Galatians 5:16–24 (ESV): But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

2 Timothy 2:22–26 (ESV): So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. 3. How does the devil seek to destroy us? He seeks to destroy our relationships with God, ourselves, and others. The devil is the accuser and he gets that title naturally. He accuses us by leading us to sin against God and once we sin he causes us to feel shame, guilt, fear, regret, anger, doubt, secrecy, and all manner of spiritual and emotional turmoil that isolates us and sends us further into sin. What is sin? Sin by definition is a separation from God. What does separation from God look like? It means that we are void of His presence. God is light and in Him is no darkness. To be separated from Him means to be in total darkness. God is the living water. To be apart from Him means we thirst. He is the bread of life. This means without Him we starve. God is the Word made flesh. To be separated from Him means we're separated from His knowledge and wisdom. God is the healer of the sick and injured. To not have this means eternity of weeping and gnashing of teeth. We take for granted the things in life that can only be explained as the presence of God. But to ignore these things we forsake what God has given us and will suffer complete absence from Him eternally.

James 1:13–15 (ESV): Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

1 Peter 5:6–11 (ESV): Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 4. What does it mean to have life? Furthermore, to have it abundantly? Abundant life comes from our life in Christ and of the abundance of eternal blessings supplied by Him. Satan doesn't want us to have an abundant life. He seeks to kill, steal, and destroy all our eternal blessings by leading us to a life of complacency. What does it mean to be complacent? To be complacent is to procrastinate. It also means that we consider ourselves to far gone to be saved or to think that there will be time in the future to seek salvation. There are many ways to be complacent and it's in non-action that the devil takes action. Are we taking action or are we being complacent? So how do we get an abundant life? We accept the sacrifice of God's only begotten son Jesus Christ and rest assuredly in His eternal salvation. We flee from the devil. How do we draw closer to God? We first seek His kingdom and all things will be added to it.

James 4:4–8 (ESV): You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

So in conclusion I prompt you to Seek God, seek His kingdom, and accept His sacrifice and His salvation. Flee from the devil, being firm in your faith, shun the world and it's wicked ways because friendship with the world is enmity with God. I pray that this blog reaches you where you're at and touches your heart. May God bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you and please feel free to reach out to me with questions or prayer requests.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Believer's Daily Remembrancer by Rev. James Smith

"The faithful Witness." – Revelation 1:5

This is one of the titles of our adorable Saviour. His Father gave Him to be a witness, to testify unto us of His love, and His testimony is: "God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." To testify of His will in reference to sinners, and this is His witness: "This is the will of Him that sent me, that every one that seeth the Son, perceiveth His divinity, His authority, and office, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day." To testify of His delight in making His people happy; and this is the record: "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom." He bare witness that our God and Father will do for us, and give unto us, all that our circumstances require; and we know that His witness is true. Let us therefore believe it, simply on the ground of His divinity, knowledge, integrity, veracity, and the interest He takes in our happiness and His Father’s glory. Jesus is the faithful Witness, and our glorious Friend.

Great Witness from above, My tongue would bless Thy name: Be Thee the joyful news Of my salvation came; The joyful news of sin forgiven, Of hell subdued, and peace with heaven.

[bibleversegarden]

Jesus Christ, Our Great High Priest, Redeemer, Savior and Lord

Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest, has atoned for our sins, once for all, and has reconciled us to God our Maker. 

God's perfect sacrificial Lamb without blemish, offered Himself for our redemption, and is the only Mediator between God and men.

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Hebrews 10:1-7 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.

For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.

Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come—In the volume of the book it is written of Me—To do Your will, O God.' "

Isaiah 53:4-6 Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Hebrews 10:14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Hebrews 10:19-23 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (See also Hebrews Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 in its entirety.)

Matthew 27:50-53 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. Ephesians 2:13-18 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

(See Ephesians Chapter 2 in its entirety.) The good news of God's salvation is to be proclaimed in all the earth. Whosoever will may come, both Jew and Gentile; receive God's pardon and walk in newness of life. - A Walk In The Garden Devotions

[walkswithmyfather]

John 15:16 (NIV). “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”

Romans 8:14 (NIV). “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

John 3:16 (NIV). “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.”

“An Invitation to Intimacy” By In Touch Ministries:

“God wants you to be a part of His forever family in heaven.”

“God, the Creator of the universe, chooses us. And His purpose in doing so isn’t simply to save us from eternity in hell. His love goes beyond that—He wants an intimate relationship with each one of His children. Building this intimacy requires ...

Commitment. God showed His commitment by rescuing us from sin through His Son Jesus, sending the Holy Spirit to live within us, and promising us eternal life. A reasonable response is our pledge to obedience in both inner attitude and outward action.

Clear Communication. To develop a close bond, two people will express deep thoughts and feelings, and they’ll also listen carefully to one another’s words. God speaks to us through Scripture about Himself and His plans, and He also stands ready to listen (Psalm 10:17).

Openness. God speaks honestly about our nature, the condition of the world, and the only solution: Jesus Christ. He willingly tells us the difficult truths about ourselves but also encourages and affirms us in our efforts to follow Him. Our part consists of being honest with Him about our thoughts, actions, and emotions.

Salvation is only the first step of life in Christ (John 3:16). Have you accepted the invitation to intimacy with God?”