Category: What do you think?

God means exactly what he says, and his word should be taken seriously in every area of life

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

One of the real problems in the lives of many people today is the tendency to read what God says in scripture and quietly assume that it might not fully apply to them. That is a form of pride and rebellion, even when it does not feel that way, and it leads people to treat God’s word as a set of suggestions rather than the words of the Creator of the universe.

God is full of love, joy, peace, and blessing, and he genuinely wants those things for every person. At the same time, when he says not to do something, he means it completely and without exception. He does not make idle statements, he does not play games, and he will not overlook what he has clearly forbidden. Taking God at his word in every part of life is not a burden; it is actually the path to everything he has promised.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

Matthew 24:35

Our deepest hopes are not met in this life alone, but in eternity with Jesus

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

People are naturally wired to look forward to things, and yet even the best moments in life have a way of not quite living up to what we imagined beforehand. Newlyweds eventually find their feet back on the ground, those who retire can find themselves wrestling with boredom, and even someone who has lived a genuinely good life may reach the end of it wondering if this is really as good as it gets. Paul addresses this honestly in 1 Corinthians 15:19, saying that if our hope in Christ only covers this present life, then we are people to be pitied above all others.

But that is not the kind of hope Jesus offers. He does not simply make our days on earth a little more manageable or meaningful, though he does that too. He promises that life continues beyond death, and that the hopes and longings we carry through this life will find their true fulfilment in eternity. Our expectations are not wrong; they are just too small for this world. The best that awaits every believer is not behind them. It is still ahead, in the life to come.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Romans 8:18

You can come to Christ right now and receive forgiveness, freedom, and a life with purpose

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

If you have never placed your trust in Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, the gift of eternal life and the freedom that comes with being forgiven are available to you right now, today. The guilt you carry, the longing to feel clean and whole, and the desire for a life with genuine peace and purpose are all things God can address the moment you turn to him.

You can speak to him honestly and ask him to forgive your sins and take over the direction of your life. A simple prayer of surrender, telling Jesus that you are giving him the rest of your life and asking him to make you the person he wants you to be, is something he will absolutely respond to. He does not turn away anyone who comes to him with a sincere heart, and the life that follows is one he will guide and shape with both faithfulness and care.

Everything that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I certainly will not cast out.

John 6:37

Salvation is a free gift of God’s grace that no one can earn or buy

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

There is nothing you can do to purchase your salvation, and nothing in your own effort or goodness that could ever settle the debt your sin has created before God. The entire message of scripture on this point is consistent and clear: we are saved by God’s grace alone, which means it is completely unearned and entirely undeserved.

The greatest expression of that grace was God sending his Son Jesus Christ into the world to die in our place at Calvary, shedding his blood so that our sins could be forgiven. Because of what Christ did there, God can now pour out his grace on those who believe, since the full debt of sin has already been paid. Nothing else and no one else can clear that debt. Only the righteousness of Christ and his sacrifice make it possible for any person to stand forgiven before God.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

What should be and what is will one day be made right in Christ

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

There is a tension that most of us live with every day, even if we have never put it into words. We know that things are not the way they should be, in our own lives and in the world around us, and no matter how hard we try, we cannot make everything right. At the same time, we feel strongly that things ought to be better, that justice and peace and love should win out. Paul points to this tension and to its resolution in 1 Corinthians 15:28, looking ahead to the day when the Son himself will hand over all things to God the Father, so that God may be all in all.

The resurrection of Jesus is God’s answer to that tension. It is his promise that what is broken will be restored, that what is wrong will be made right, that the longing we carry for things to be as they should is not a longing that will go unanswered forever. Jesus is not just the one who saves us from what was. He is the one who is leading all of creation toward what will be. Restoration will be the final word, and God himself will be all in all.

and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:4