To persevere

"... We also glory in tribulations (sufferings), knowing that tribulation produces perseverance (endurance); and perseverance, character; and character, hope." - Romans 5: 3-4

We are to rejoice in all of our sufferings, for the agony and pain that may come, Because Jesus laid down His life for us.

It seems so far fetched does it not? How can that be?

God is God. He can do anything, everything. None of us would be here if it were not for Him. God implanted His seed within the Virgin Mary and when it was time, God's son, Jesus, was born.

The whole reason for Jesus - his birth and his death - is to bring salvation to mankind.

And why? What is salvation that it is so darn important?

The word by itself as a verb or noun can mean freedom from what binds or restricts, to liberate, to rescue. God's plan, His original plan, was for man and woman to live in complete harmony with Him for all of eternity.

But that didn't happen. Satan, through the serpent, entered the picture. Eve sinned, Adam sinned. The world was no longer that harmonious place God had planned. Sim was rampant. Sin was commonplace.

Enter Jesus. His time on earth was short. There were joyous and happy moments but also much sorrow and agonizing pain as He goes about His Father's business. His plan, God's plan, is to bring harmony back to its rightful place. To do that, we, individually, must see a need to be free from where we are, from what we are. We must see a need to be free from the sin that enslaves us.

Salvation - God's gift to mankind, is found in JESUS. Through Him, only Him can we have a relationship that brings about perfect harmony.

It is unfortunate at times, that because of freewill - an individual's own personal choice, our lives become and remain stagnant.

Do you not understand? Understanding comes with maturity (not age), Bible study, meditation. New truths ... always there, but new, to me. Reading Romans 5: 12-19, I see more clearly.

Sin entered the world through one man, Adam, and as a result he and all future descendants could only beget sinners. That means you and I are sinners because of Adam's sin. The penalty of sin is death. Not a literal death, a physical death, but a spiritual death. We are separated from God, the God who created us, who is Our Father in the truest sense. The separation meant judgment, condemnation.

The Ten Commandments of God came about during the time of Moses. But those laws were not enough to regain what was lost. They were to be observed / obeyed to bring about understanding and wisdom, to remind us of God's provisions and love, of who is The Holy One.

Sin remains. But Jesus came. God's son. He came from God. He returned to God. He was born, he lived, he died, he was buried, and he rose again. He lives. He is alive now. Not in the physical sense, but spiritually. For it is spiritually that we are separated.

Jesus came to bring New Life to the world. Through His death, He took upon himself all the sins of the world - past, present and future - mine, yours. He took them all to gain for us that perfect harmony with God.

But it is not enough.

It is enough, yet there is that matter with free choice. You have the choice to accept that Jesus died in your place, for your sins. You have the choice to ask for forgiveness. You have the choice to believe. If your choice is to ignore the gift freely offered, you will continue to be separated from God. And when you physically die, your soul will not be part of God's kingdom in heaven. Choices must be made while you are physically alive.

I accepted Jesus' gift of salvation in 1982 and the walk, the journey with Him began. The journey will continue until God calls me home. Then I will see Jesus, face to face.

To learn more about how you can become born again and accept Jesus as your personal Savior: click here