“It is for freedom that

Christ has set us free”.

GALATIANS 5:1
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5

In this edition:

“The Christian Life”

THE WORD

..."Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved- you and your household." Acts 16:31

"That if you confess (to disclose one's faults; to unburden one's sins or the state of one's
conscience to God) with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord" and believe (to accept truthfully and on
faith) 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 (to judge, regard or treat as righteous and worthy
of salvation) and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (to deliver from sin or
the wage of sin which is eternal death)." Romans 10:9,10
"Consequently faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through
the Word of Christ." Romans 10:17

THE DECISION

This life is a journey. Each of us is on a path to eternal life orto eternal condemnation.

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to
destruction and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that
leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13,14

At some point in our lives we will all encounter the message of the Gospel (good news) of Christ.
Some of us will accept it, others will not. For those who accept His message and gift of salvation and
receive Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, these will become sons and daughters of God (John
1:12) and receives the blessings of God including the promise of eternal life. To those who reject His
message and refuse to acknowledge that Jesus is the only way to God (I Timothy 2:5,6), to those
who mock His offer of eternal life and salvation, they will receive their just punishment, eternal death
in Hell (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:11-15).

"Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no man comes to the Father but by Me."
John 14:6

HIS MESSAGE OF LOVE AND LIFE

His message was one of unconditional love and great sacrifice (Romans 5:8). He came to fulfill God's
purpose and plan for mankind. Jesus came to provide redemption (to free us from our debt of sin and
purchase our salvation through His shed Blood on Calvary). He became God's sacrificial lamb (John
1:29) on the Cross and gave His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). He came to reconcile man
to God [restore our relationship with our Creator]. (Romans 5:9-11).

"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. Whoever believes is not
condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not
believed in the name of God's one and only Son." John 3:16-18

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see
life, for God's wrath remains on him." John 3:36

OUR DECISION

Our eternal destiny depends on making this most important decision. Will we choose to be saved and
follow Christ? I hope so. Salvation is free. It was a gift from God after all (Romans 3:23,24),
however, we need to maintain our salvation and guard it with all our hearts or it can be lost forever.
Those who neglect the Word of God and disobey His commands to live a holy and righteous life before
the Lord (which is to say they live their lives as if Christ were not a part of it), can easily find
themselves back where they started. Christ demands total surrender. We cannot serve God and man
(Matthew 6:24). If we want to live for Christ, He desires we give Him our entire being, body, soul,
mind and spirit (Matthew 6:33; Romans 12:1,2).

This is not an easy task for many. Some of us are caught up in our day-to-day activities and find there
is little time left over for God. Some of us are unwilling to give up our so-called "freedom" to follow
Christ. Who says we were ever free? If you are not a servant of Christ, you are a slave to sin (John
8:34,35). Jesus is the only one who offers us true freedom (John 8:36). If we love the world and its
desires, then we cannot truly love God and obey His will (1 John 1:15-17; Galatians 5:24). God
wants a true devotion (Colossians 3:2). A first love that will never die! Not lukewarmness, but
FIRE! (Revelation 3:16)

WHAT WE MUST DO TO FOLLOW CHRIST * Walk in His Steps “

"To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that
you should follow in His steps. 'He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His
mouth' (Isaiah 53:9) When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He
suffered, He made no threats. Instead He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. He
himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for
righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going
astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." I Peter
2:21-25

Christian means "follower of Christ". To be able to call yourself a Christian, you need to live a life that
exemplifies Him. Live His values, His examples, His Word. Produce fruit that shows you have truly
repented (Matthew 3:8). Fruit "grows", it doesn't pop up overnight, therefore keep in mind that the
fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23) will grow in us as we mature in Christ. As we pray and submit
our will over to God and allow the Holy Spirit to change our hearts and minds, then the new creation
(1 Corinthians 5:17) we became when we received Christ in our hearts will become more evident
day by day.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control..." Galatians 5:22

GOD'S WORD IS THE MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENT TO THIS WHOLE PROCESS!

Without God's Word, we cannot know what He desires of us. God has left us a set of instructions and
rules to live by that enable us to live holy and pure lives before Him.

What are some of the mandates God gives us in His Word? Let's take a look at the book of
Psalms, Chapter 119, vs. 9-16:

Vs. 9 We keep pure by living according to His Word.

Vs 10 We need to seek Him with all our heart.
Vs 11 We need to memorize and meditate on His Word; it will keep us from sinning.
Vs 12 We need to praise Him because He's wonderful and awesome!
Vs 13 We need to testify and tell others of His goodness.
Vs 14 We need to be happy and appreciate God's Word as valuable to us.
Vs 15 We need to meditate on His Word and consider His commands.
Vs 16 Do not neglect His Word!

As surely as the Word of God leads us to make ourselves right before the Lord by the confession of
our sins before Him (Psalm 51:1-4), it also exhorts us to put His instructions into practice (James
1:22). God will lead us by His Spirit (Isaiah 30:21; Galatians 5:25) to straight, godly paths as we
walk in obedience to His Word (Joshua 1:8).