I Have a Question

What Must I Do to Get to Heaven?

            Peter makes it very clear when he speaks to the Jews that were present at that time. In Acts 2:38-40 he proclaims the following: “Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is for you and your children and for all who are far away [including the Gentiles], as many as the Lord our God calls to Himself.” And Peter solemnly testified and continued to admonish and urge them with many more words, saying, “Be saved from this crooked and unjust generation!”

            So when scripture says, “Call out to the Lord and you will be saved”, there’s a little more to it than just calling out His name. Actually, it’s pretty basic. God knows all things that can be known; we do not. God is perfect in every way; we are not.  God has a plan; we do not. He is able to cleanse us of all our sins; we are not. Scripture tells us in Romans 3:22-24 the following: “This righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all those [Jew or Gentile] who believe [and trust in Him and acknowledge Him as God’s Son]. There is no distinction, since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God, and are being justified [declared free of the guilt of sin, made acceptable to God, and granted eternal life] as a gift by His [precious, undeserved] grace, through the redemption [the payment for our sin] which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,...”. THAT is what you must do to get to heaven.

            Mankind has a problem. Whether they understand, or believe it or not, they have sinned repeatedly against the One who created them. Our sin is like an immense monetary debt that we have accrued and have no way of paying off. The blood spilled by Jesus on the cross was the payment required to cleanse our sin debt. The payment has no strings attached to it, unless you consider following Jesus a reason to turn down the payment. 

            Free will has been given to all men by God. We can exercise that free will and walk away from His gracious invitation if we so choose. That is exactly why God doesn’t send anyone to hell. By virtue of their free will, they make that decision all on their own. They choose not to be involved with God at all. Choose to follow the Lord... choose life. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

I Have a Question

How do we determine our own moral and/or ethical framework of beliefs? 

 

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” – Genesis 1:27 NKJV

 

“...for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them.” – Romans 2:14-15 NKJV

 

According to Christian theology, God gives humans an innate sense of right and wrong from birth.  This is rooted in the belief that humans are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), which includes an inherent capacity to discern moral truths. 

The Apostle Paul argues in Romans 2:14-15 that even those without direct knowledge of God’s law have the "work of the law written on their hearts," with their conscience bearing witness to moral distinctions. This suggests that humans possess an innate sense of right and wrong that persists despite the distortion caused by sin, allowing for basic moral recognition across all cultures. 

While this innate sense exists, it can be corrupted or seared by sin (1 Timothy 4:2).  Therefore, believers are encouraged to align their conscience with Scripture and seek guidance from the Holy Spirit to accurately discern God’s moral will. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: www.gotquestions.org

Taking a Look at Scripture

“And as for [the rest of] you, brethren, do not grow tired or lose heart in doing good [but continue doing what is right without weakening].”- 2 Thessalonians 3:13 Amplified Bible

 

         After speaking to the disorderly church members in Thessalonica, Paul took the time to encourage those who persevered in doing good without growing weary or discouraged. The apostle calls those who are persevering in the faith his brethren. Now technically, the slackers are Paul’s brothers in Christ as well, but the dutiful ones are called such in this letter to let them feel good about what they are accomplishing. It separates the good from the bad. Remember, Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23 that not all who profess to be following Christ are. 

            We are called to follow Christ, some believers do and others do not. They may have had a legitimate conversion experience; however, they’ve not counted the cost and as a result may have turned spiritually lazy regarding the things of the Lord.

            I have a saying that I firmly believe and live out each day. It is, “It’s NEVER right to do wrong, but it is NEVER wrong to do right”. Some of the members of the Thessalonica had become weary of doing good. Paul’s concern was that those members would have an adverse effect on those continually doing good. 

            The good that some were doing involved daily labor, generosity toward others, along with general Christian conduct, which would be consistent with an ongoing commitment to the Lord. This guidance from Paul can be tied to Galatians 6:9 where Jesus promises a harvest for the ones who do not give up. Faithful service shall be rewarded by the Lord. Idleness can be contagious if one isn’t alert and discerning. Continue on with your service to the Lord and stay strong in the things of God. Keep building your relationship with him and become like the proverbial beacon on the hill. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: www.thebiblesays.com

Taking a Look at Scripture

“If you love me, you will obey what I command.” – John 14:15 NIV

            Obeying Jesus’ commands is NOT a requirement or condition for salvation. Rather, it should be a natural result of having a living, breathing relationship with Christ. Love is an action word; therefore, it is important to show your love thru action instead of just by emotion.

            Exactly what commands is Jesus speaking of?  They encompass all of the words and teachings of Jesus from throughout his ministry. His words should be identified as his Father’s own words since they are one in the same. Obedience is proof of salvation. It is a call to accept and follow his revelation to love and live in truth.

            The love spoken of in the above verse is known as “agape” love which represents a selfless, sacrificial commitment. We should obey the Lord out of love and respect instead of fear of repercussions if we do not, because there would be no punishment coming if you do not follow his lead in obedience. We should do it because we have placed immense value in their relationship with Christ.

            The focus should be between loving God and keeping his word, rather than adhering to a rigid list of do’s & don’ts. It’s quite simple really. Those who do NOT love the Lord will not obey his teachings. Those who DO love Jesus WILL follow his teachings because of their love and respect for him.

            All disciples of Christ both then and now are identified by their obedience to God’s Word, their love for fellow believers and even for those they consider enemies. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: www.gotquestions.org

Taking a Look at Scripture

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.” – 1 John 4:7 NIV

 

            Love is a divine attribute that comes directly from Almighty God, and this verse establishes that fact. Having the love of God in your heart is evidence that a spiritual rebirth has taken place in a person.

            The verse reveals to us the divine origin of love showing us that it is not merely a human emotion. It comes directly from God’s nature for as it says in the very next verse (v.8) “God is love.” He is the embodiment of love. Man has skewed love into something disjointed, immoral, and evil, which is not at all what God intended.

            When someone exhibits love in a visible way it reveals selflessness growing in that persons heart. It is thru love that we become selfless, as Jesus was. Doing for others with no expectation of reciprocation reveals the sacrificial side of love. Those characteristics represent an individual that is spiritually born again by Almighty God.

            One of the things that is so special about “knowing God” is what that truly means. To know God is to begin a trip to an intimate, transformative relationship with the creator of the universe and man’s first breath. It is supposed to result in loving others more than you love yourself. It is loving in a real, palpable way rather than simply giving a verbal acknowledgement. Forget what the world says love is... disregard it. Home in on what the creator of true lasting love has to say in his Word about love. ^{[ Hint: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ]}

            Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries         

Resource: www.biblehub.com

 

Taking a Look at Scripture

“...the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” – Hebrews 9:22 NIV

            Nearly all iniquities that took place in the OT period required that they be purified with blood. Without it there was NO forgiveness of sins. The animals blood signified a temporary, symbolic covering for impurity, having NOT removed that sin for all time as Christ’s blood did. The Law was absolute; no sin was pardoned unless a life was given for “the life of the flesh is in the blood”. [Leviticus 17:14 NIV]

Hebrews 9:22 is a bridge to the New Covenant provided by Christ’s sacrificial death. The New Covenant reveals the superiority of Christ’s willing sacrifice. The OT sacrifices had to be made repeatedly on an annual basis in a ritualistic fashion. This system was imperfect, yet set the stage for the shedding of Christ’s own blood as a “once for all time”redemptive sacrifice which fulfilled the Mosaic Laws demand for justice. The New Covenant provided for believers forgiveness that was for a lifetime. Eternal forgiveness which begins the moment you give your life over to Christ. His death validated the New Covenant, proving that God’s justice was satisfied completely, allowing Him to forgive sins eternally without compromising His holiness.

Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: https://www.biblestudytools.com/hebrews/9-22.html

Taking a Look at Scripture

“And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” – John 17:5 NIV

            Early church tradition referred to this verse as Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer, as it is where he asks God the Father to restore him to the divine glory that was shared with God before the creation of the world. 

            The verse speaks of Jesus pre-existence and divine posture. It affirms his eternal nature and unity with the Father. This glory he seeks is a REACQUISITION rather than a NEW acquisition. He was seeking to return to his rightful state after his earthly ministry was completed. Jesus concealed this while on his mission to accomplish salvation for mankind. The Lord sought re-glorification as a result of his glorifying the Father while he was on earth.

            While there exists slight interpretable differences among theologians the vast majority see this verse as direct evidence for Christ’s pre-creation existence with God the Father; both being eternal and both being divine. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: www.bible-study.com