Walking With Jesus

Living Like This Was Your Last Day!

“Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord, hear my urgent cry.” (Psalm 86:6 NLT)

What’s “the MOST” important thing you must do today? This isn’t a “trick” question. It will vary from person to person, but categorically, how do you make decisions? Then how do you prioritize them, so the most important ones get your undivided attention and get accomplished?

Much of the time we’re tyrannized by the “urgent,” to the displacement of the important. The AC goes out and it’s 115 degrees outside; the car breaks down; the toilet overflows; the baby won’t stop crying – I get it, the list is virtually endless. But one day none of that will matter. Why not? Because you won’t be around to care.

What if you got a word from the Lord and He said: “Today’s the day!” And the way most of us roll, we’re prone to ask: “What day is that Lord?” “THE day!” He responds. “Oh,” we say with amazement, “THAT day!”

It’s uncommon, but in Scripture the Lord sometimes let people know the end of their lives was coming soon. The Apostle Paul talked about the end of his “race” being at hand. The Prophet Elijah made a very dramatic exit from this earth to be with God. My granddad knew. There are others, but what if you knew this was going to be your last day on planet earth? What might you do differently?

Perhaps you think that’s a little far-fetched, but we need to realize that we have no promise of tomorrow. This could be the day of the Lord’s return, or it may just be the day for us to bid farewell to our life on earth. It’s definitely coming, why not think about it and make sure we’re ready?

King David, author of the verse above, continued his prayer by saying: “Teach me Your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to Your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you. With all my heart I will praise You, O Lord my God. I will give glory to Your name forever, for Your love for me is very great. You have rescued me from the depths of death.” (Psalm 86: 11-13 NLT)

Let’s draw a few things from these verses that will help us be prepared for our last day, whether it’s today or years down the road.

First, Learn God’s ways. Let the Holy Spirit give you the priorities for each day. How will He teach you? Primarily through His Word. There’s no substitute for reading and studying the Bible if you want to learn God’s ways.

Second, Live according to God’s truth. You won’t know God’s truth unless and until you make reading and studying the Bible a daily priority. Additionally, connect with a Christ-centered, Bible believing church fellowship and watch the lives of those who are “walking the walk.” The Apostle Paul said: “Follow me as I follow Christ.”

Third, Grant me purity of heart. That’s a desire that God gives us, but we can never accomplish by ourselves. Only God can give us purity of heart, but it’s something we should pursue every day through prayer and submission to the Holy Spirit’s leadership.

Fourth, Give glory to God for all He’s done for you. To me, ingratitude is among my greatest sins. When I fail to be grateful for all God means to me and all He’s given to me, it’s as if I’m taking credit for those things myself. If Jesus has rescued us from our sins and filled us with His Holy Spirit, our life should exude gratitude to Him and love for others.

When these things are among our daily habits, we can echo the words in Revelation 22:20b: “Even so, Lord Jesus come!”

Regardless of what day it is, we’re “packed” and ready to go to our new home in heaven!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Is Divorce the Answer?

“’For I hate divorce!’ says the Lord, the God of Israel.” (Malachi 2:16a NLT)

Our goal as Jesus followers is to follow God and His choices for us, not seek to have Him agree with our choices. What are we to follow? In short, His paths of righteousness. What does that mean? Righteousness simply means to live in a right way that is honoring to God; to follow Jesus’ righteous example. What might that look like?

Over time God will strengthen our hearts, enabling us to “hear” His voice and to desire His will more than we desire our own will. Having followed the Lord for many years, I ONLY want what He wants for me. Why? Because I’ve learned that what He wants for me is by far greater than what I want for myself. He’s taught me to recognize His voice above the voices of my own heart or those of the world, enabling me to grow in my likeness of Him, as opposed to conforming to the likeness of the world.

What does this have to do with divorce? Quite a lot actually. While the government has sought in increasing measure to make divorce easier, God’s Word, the standard by which Jesus followers are to model our lives, has never changed. God’s plan from the beginning was one man and one woman committed to one another for life. The results of our not listening and obeying that command have been catastrophic.

Chuck Colson said: “People who divorce are more likely to die from stroke, heart disease, cancer, and hypertension. Kids from broken homes are more likely to fail in school, abuse drugs and alcohol, commit crimes, and have children out of wedlock.” And that’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

Think of the witness it is for struggling couples to see Christian couples they respect and believe are living for Jesus, walk away from their marriage and family. Pastors are now among the categories of professions most likely to divorce. There’s virtually no difference in the statistics of those who attend church or those who do not, related to divorce. How can that be?

Why am I so passionate about staying married and removing divorce as an option for Christian couples? Because I’ve been divorced. I know the pain, heartache, and suffering that accompanies watching your spouse of more than twenty years walk out the door, knowing she’s headed into the arms of another man. I understand how it affects the children as they lose their once solid Christian footing, searching for answers in all the wrong places.

Satan will make you believe you have no option, and, honestly, maybe you don’t, but a very high percentage of the time you do have a better choice than divorce. When you boil it all down, the leading cause of divorce is demanding our own way and ignoring God’s way.

May I let you in on a secret? There’s no such thing as “no fault” divorce. Someone is always to blame, and it’s usually shared by both participants. And please don’t misunderstand. There are times when, for the safety of a spouse and/or children, divorce must happen. But before you pursue a divorce, seek counsel from godly people, separate for a specific amount of time and/or for a designated purpose – i.e. to go through rehab; seek treatment for emotional, physical, or other specific concerns that must be addressed in order to give your marriage opportunity to heal.

Nothing I’ve ever experienced has had such long-term effects on my life and the lives of my children. Please remove the “D” word from your vocabulary and, unless there are very unusual circumstances, determine that divorce is not the answer for you and your spouse.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Fruitfulness Grows Out of Faithfulness

“For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me.” (John 15:4b NLT)

What is fruitfulness? Which plants bear fruit? Healthy plants, right? What is required for a plant to become and remain healthy? I understand this is an oversimplification, but they need to develop a strong root system. How does that happen? They need good soil and a mixture of sunshine and water. How does that translate for us?

Fruitfulness for a believer grows out of faithfulness. Unlike a plant, we choose our own “soil.” We decide what our eyes will view, what our ears will hear, and how we will live our life. We choose which habits we’ll develop, which friends we will have, and which path we will walk.

Jesus made it clear that a branch (a life) cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, then added, so there could be no misunderstanding what He meant: “…and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me.” So, the logical question then becomes: “What does it mean to ‘remain’ in Jesus?”

Realizing this could go in a lot of directions, let me be clear that my purpose is not to open a theological debate. What I would like to accomplish is for those of us who are walking with Jesus to find ways to evaluate our own life, then move in directions that will lead to greater effectiveness and fruitfulness as God’s child.

To that end, let’s look at a few ideas. One would think that longevity would by default lead to maturity, but that, unfortunately, isn’t always the case. There are Jesus followers who claim to have followed the Lord for 30, 40 or more years, but what they’ve been doing is repeating year one 30, 40 or more times.

Rather than growing, their treading spiritual waters and refusing to become fruitful because they refuse to “remain” in Christ. How do I know that? Primarily because I witnessed it in my own life. As a new believer I knew I was ignorant of the Bible and spiritual tools that would help me grow in my likeness of Jesus, so I soaked up anything and everything that I could to help me grow and become fruitful.

But as the proverbial “sprouts” became evident, I became very pleased with myself and essentially shot myself in my spiritual foot. Once I got some basics all I wanted to do was search the Scriptures to “prove” my understanding was “right.” I wasn’t learning new truth, I was rehashing old truth in fresh ways, but coming to the same conclusions. To what end? I wasn’t growing. I wasn’t “remaining.” I wasn’t abiding in Jesus.

J.D. Greear wrote: “Fruitfulness matters, but the only road there is through consistent faithfulness.” To remain means to continue, to dwell, or to endure. It means to not plow the same field over and over again. It means to patiently wait until God does the work in us as we diligently learn new ways to obey, by submitting to His authority in our lives.

Spiritual fruit doesn’t come from us. We’re branches. We bear the fruit only to the extent we remain connected to the Vine, Jesus. What does that look like? It looks like total devotion to who Jesus is and what He wants to accomplish in and through us. We must do some fruit “inspection,” not in other people’s lives, but in our own.

As I view my life I need to ask myself some questions. For example: How much of a priority is worship – both individually and corporately? How close do I feel to God? Why? Is my daily schedule ordered around God’s priorities or mine? Do I have at least one other person with whom I’m sharing my life in Christ? Does another person truly know my heart, in terms of my desires, my sins, my goals as a believer? We’re a branch among many branches. We’re connected to others if we’re in Christ or we’re not in Christ. There’s no such thing as a “Lone Ranger” believer. A single “branch” has no life apart from Jesus.

Are you “in Christ” or are you a dead branch? Only you can answer that question. Fruitfulness grows out of faithfulness, not complacency.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Beauty of Marriage

“But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.” (1 Corinthians 7:2 NLT)

Marriage can be difficult and is not for everyone. The Apostle Paul encourages believers not to marry if they can abstain from sexual immorality, but at the time of Paul’s writing and today, with so much immorality, it’s hard to not sin sexually if you’re not married. Even if you are married, lust is such a driving force, it can still be an issue.

The picture used by Jesus to describe His relationship with His people, His Church universal, is that of a beautiful bride adorned for her husband. It was God’s idea in the beginning for one man to be married to one woman for life. For a man and woman to devote their whole lives to one another in faithful pursuit of oneness, the likes of which can be accomplished in no other relationship than Christ and His Bride.

No one hates divorce more than Jesus and those of us who have been divorced.

When I was pastoring, nothing amused me more than when a previously married couple would ask me to marry them and say: “We don’t need any counseling. We know the ‘ropes,’ we’ve both been married before.” It was as if they were saying: “We know all about marriage, that’s why we both failed so well with our first partner.”

Could that have anything to do with why statistically the likelihood of a successful second marriage is so much lower than a first-time marriage? Before my present wife and I were married, I read a statistic that said it takes about eight years for a previously married couple to work through all their baggage they drag into their second marriage. My wife and I have been married 28 years, and we’re still sorting baggage. 😊

Though we’ve had many issues, I believe we’ve finally found our “sweet spot.” We’ve finally come to a place where we genuinely value the treasure we’ve become to one another.

When the Apostle Paul was describing what he aspired his relationship with Jesus to look like he said: “I want to know Christ…” (Philippians 3:10a) The word Paul used that’s translated “know” is the same word that’s used in Genesis 4:4 when it says Adam “knew” Eve and they had a child. It’s a term of intimacy, closeness that can only be achieved between two people who are deeply committed to one another. Whose hearts beat with longing to be in the other’s presence, sharing life together come what may.

You can’t have a perfect marriage with two imperfect people, but when you begin to focus on what’s right in each other rather than on what’s wrong, it becomes a lot happier. Keeping a singular focus helps also. What does that mean? It means stop looking outside your relationship with your spouse to find what should only be found in and with your spouse. And I’m not speaking simply of sex; I’m speaking of delight.

It’s amazing how much pleasure I find in my wife when I accept her as God’s gift to me. God doesn’t make mistakes, we do. God creates oneness. We create division. God’s desire is holiness. We desire happiness.

What am I saying? The beauty of marriage will only surface when God is first in your heart and your spouse is a very close second. His plan has always been for the two to become one flesh – committed to living for His honor together!

Blessings, Ed 😊

You Are Welcome to Come to the Wedding!

“And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” (Revelation 21:2 NLT)

In Matthew 22 Jesus used a wedding feast as the theme of one of His parables. Parables, as a rule, have one main point, and the point of the parable in Matthew 22 is that God wants the “banquet hall” to be filled for the “Wedding” of Jesus and His “Bride.”

Who is His Bride? The Church, comprised of everyone who is properly “attired.” What does that mean? In Matthew 22:12 Jesus asks one of the guests: “’Friend’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’”

In the previous verses servants of the king were sent to those who were originally invited, but when everything was ready, they refused to come. So, the Bible says that the servants were to invite: “everyone you see.” (vs. 9) That included some who were good and some who were bad.

The picture that is being painted here is what has been happening over the past two thousand years. The Jews were originally to be the main guests, for they were the ones to whom the Messiah was born. But they rejected Him, thus opening the “wedding feast” to everyone, both good and bad. Who does that include? You and me – Gentile and Jew – anyone who agrees to be properly “clothed” in wedding attire. What does that mean?

It means the only way to heaven, to participate in the wedding feast when Jesus and His Church are united for all eternity, is to be “clothed” in His righteousness. Good or bad is no longer the issue. The only issue is whether a person is willing to seek forgiveness of their sins, to repent (turn from their sins), and be clothed in the righteousness of Jesus through faith in Him and what He alone accomplished when He died and rose again. What does that look like in a practical way?

Imagine you’re preparing to go someplace – work, to the grocery store, anyplace – so you grab your keys, but when you open the door to your car, someone is already sitting in the driver’s seat with their hand reaching out to you asking for the key. You have a choice to either give them the key or ask them to step out of your car. It’s your choice.

That’s essentially what Jesus asks of us – to give Him control of our life! “Let Me (Jesus) determine the direction your life will take. Let Me guide in every decision, every thought, every motive, every detail of your life.” Why? Because He understands that He knows you and me better than we know ourselves. So, for us as believers the wedding “clothes” of His righteousness looks like the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22)

Those kinds of characteristics are what identify us as God’s child. Can we fake them? We may be able to fool people for a while, but we won’t fool Jesus for a second. Authenticity and transparency are what enables Jesus to be seen in us and to work through us. No one will enter the wedding feast of the Lamb of God clothed in their own righteousness. The white robes of Jesus’ righteousness alone will grant us entrance.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Getting Dressed Up for Jesus

“Jesus replied, ‘You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote: “These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.”’” (Mark 7:6 NLT)

In the above verse Jesus is responding to some Pharisees and teachers of religious law who criticized Jesus’ disciples because they didn’t perform the Jewish tradition of hand washing before they ate. Jesus wasn’t simply criticizing them for washing their hands before they ate, their hypocrisy surfaced because they were substituting their own “rules” in place of the clear instructions of God. We tend to do that today.

Each church, as least in America, has its own set of “rules.” Of course, most churches have written beliefs that guide their theological position, but what becomes an issue, especially for new people, is their “unwritten” rules. Because over time, at least for the older folks, these “rules” supersede their theology, which leads to legalism and hypocrisy.

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For the most part, proper dress isn’t nearly as strict as it used to be. Now the “rules” are more subtle, largely relating to how you come across relationally. For example, you want to be friendly, but not “too” friendly; you want to keep your kids in check and not let anyone know your marriage is in trouble; and for goodness’ sake, don’t be having a bad day at church.

Please understand, I’m being facetious, for often the people of the church don’t feel those ways at all, but new people coming in are afraid they do. So, what’s my point? God alone knows our heart and His alone is the only opinion that matters. On any given Sunday many, if not most of the people who attend church are on some level “having a bad day.” In my mind, that’s more reason TO come to church, than to stay away.

My grandparents, whom I called Mom and Papa John, were two of the godliest people I’ve ever known. When I was in my twenties, Papa John was very ill, unable to get out of bed. But one morning he got up showered, shaved, and put on his suit, as he would if he was dressing for church, and took a seat in his favorite chair. Mom Eley was busy in the kitchen fixing breakfast, so she let Papa John know it would just be a few minutes, and commented about how nice he looked and asked “Where are you going so dressed up?” Papa John just smiled.

A few minutes later she came to tell him his breakfast was ready, but he wasn’t there. He’d gone home to be with Jesus. He wanted to look his best for his Savior. That’s what I want in my life. Not only in how I dress, but in how I live and treat others. I believe that’s what Jesus desires of us.

The truth is, if you can’t be yourself in the presence of Jesus and Jesus followers, where on earth can you be. As Jesus lovers and followers, our “job” is to be salt and light, loving and inviting, not judging, and demanding. And none of us are perfect – yet! Hopefully, every day, inch by inch, we’re growing to become more and more like Jesus, because “dressing up” for Him is more internal than external. We don’t have to where formal attire, just be “dressed” in kindness and loving acceptance, not necessarily of how someone is living, but treating them like we wanted to be treated before we met Jesus.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Why Do We Suffer?

“Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law.” (Mark 8:31a NLT)

As human beings living on this planet, we will suffer, but have you ever stopped to wonder why? All people share suffering in common. No one, rich or poor, young or old, saved or lost, escapes life on this earth without suffering in some way.

The short answer for “why” is SIN! When Adam and Eve were ejected from the Garden they left behind perfection and a sin-free life, and traded it for heartache and pain, not only for themselves, but for each person who would ever be born. But I believe there’s another very vital reason the Lord allows us to suffer, especially those of us who know, love, and desire to honor Him.

Have you ever delayed visiting someone who was ill or injured because you weren’t sure how to comfort them or what to say? When I was new in ministry, young and very “green,” I visited a young man who had been shot in the face. What do you say to someone who has a hole in their cheek from a gunshot wound? I didn’t have a clue. So, I asked what I always asked: “How are you doing?” To which the young man responded: “I’ve been shot in the face, how do you think I’m doing?”

I don’t remember much more about that visit except how I felt as I left his room. It was almost like someone had punched me hard in the stomach. I was hurting, wondering why God would allow me to fail so miserably when my intentions were so good.

Today, as I remember that visit, I wish I could have a “do-over.” Today I would say something like: “It’s unfortunate that you have to endure this painful and traumatic experience, but I’m grateful you’re alive. If the bullet had gone a few inches in another direction we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

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Often, I’m convinced that God allows suffering to get unbeliever’s attention and to draw them to Himself. And, as believers, we suffer not necessarily for our benefit alone, but for those in our family and our spheres of influence. And you may wonder why I use the term “benefit.” Is suffering designed for our benefit? On some levels, absolutely yes!

C.S. Lewis, among others, believed that suffering creates an environment in which we can learn things about God and ourselves that we can learn in no other setting. And it then offers a platform from which we can speak life into people’s lives who are suffering in a similar way.

Rick Warren says, “God never wastes a problem.” If the Lord allows something to enter our life, He has a reason. It’s either to enable us to see Him more clearly and be drawn to Him more closely, and/or to give us an avenue of witness that will be powerfully effective as we trust Him to use us despite what’s happening in our lives.

None of us knows what the future will bring, but I can tell you this with certainty – I want what God wants for me even if it causes me suffering and pain. Regardless of the condition of my body or mind, if I’m alive, I have purpose. And, often, that purpose has little or nothing to do with us directly. It’s for the benefit of those the Lord will bring to us who expect us to be complaining, when in fact, we’re praising and lifting honor and glory to our Risen Savior.

He suffered more than any other, and now billions will be in heaven who would have had no hope if He hadn’t suffered. Why should we not embrace and give thanks for the privilege of suffering if we can influence even one person to see Jesus more clearly and to not miss heaven?

Blessings, Ed 😊

While the Cement Is Soft

“We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of our Lord, about His power and His mighty works.” (Psalm 78:4 NLT)

As I walk my dogs each morning there’s a section of the sidewalk that has been replaced. There are bicycle tire tracks across that section and a few names from some of the neighbor kids. Those tracks and initials would be nearly impossible to etch into that concrete once it’s dried. They had to have been made while the cement was soft, before it had completely set up.

Statistics reveal that the vast majority of people who know Jesus as Savior and Lord, make their decision to follow Him before age 19. Why is that? Largely because that’s about the time many go off to college or start their first full-time job. They begin their journey into adulthood, with all of it’s pitfalls and stumbling blocks. Why is that so vital for us to know?

Parents in greater numbers today are waiting until their children are old enough to decide whether they will attend church or children’s and youth activities, not realizing that few will opt to go unless their parents are already investing themselves in the church’s ministries. The parents believe it’s not fair to “make” their children go.

I realize there are exceptions, but under most circumstances, when children are babies or toddlers, we take them wherever we go whether they “want” to go or not. We take them to their pediatrician, sometimes literally kicking and screaming. Why? Because we know it’s in their best interest. Knowing Jesus is definitely in their best interest.

Our children’s and grandchildren’s eternal destiny is literally at risk when we leave such a major decision up to them without proper counsel. We must give them training, not only by taking them to church, but by reading the Bible or Bible stories and/or telling them stories of our own pilgrimage as a believer. We must also take every opportunity to pray with them. Much of our faith is more “caught” than taught.

When our children are young, they are like the cement when it’s first poured, very impressionable. Those early years before they become a teen are the best years to let them “catch” our faith, but if your children or grandchildren are already into their teens or beyond is there still something you can do?

Yes, absolutely. Three things that all of us can do: (1) pray for them, (2) live for Jesus consistently before them, and (3) love them in age-appropriate ways and inviting ways, creating in them a desire for the One whom you love and serve.

One other thing that comes to mind is to encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity to touch the lives of children in your spheres of influence: at church, in your neighborhood, or in your extended family. Love is contagious, so if you love Jesus and He loves the children to whom you have access, His Spirit will work in ways that are humanly impossible.

I sensed God’s presence when I was very young at one of the few church services we attended, but I didn’t understand what it was. We rarely went to church, so for me, it wasn’t until I was 15 when I finally invited Jesus into my life.

If you haven’t yet met Jesus, please watch the brief video below to learn how you can allow the Lord to become the Savior of your life. You will never regret it. https://hutchcraft.com/the-bridge-to-god

If you know children or teens who need Jesus, please pray and do whatever you can to help them meet Him while the “cement” of their heart is still soft.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Is God Good?

“’Why do you call Me good?’ Jesus asked him. ‘Only God is truly good.” (Luke 18:19 NLT)

When you think of someone or something “good,” what do you think of? I tend to think of pinto beans and cornbread or cherry pie, but what about you? When you think of God, do you think of Him as good?

David Jeremiah wrote in a recent Turning Point devotional: “Think about the wars, acts of terror, onslaughts of savagery against innocent people, government-sponsored acts of genocide throughout history—it’s almost more than our sensibilities can bear when we consider how humanity has broken the heart of God over millennia. And we have to include our own failures to glorify God in thought, word, and deed. And yet God is ‘longsuffering toward [humanity], not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.’”

Depending on what we choose to focus our attention, it’s easy to conclude that God isn’t good. Because we don’t see Him moving in power to eliminate the cruel effects of sin, in the world and/or in our own individual lives. Would it be safe to assume, at least on some levels, God defines “good” differently than we do? However, on many other levels, He sees “good” exactly like we do.

The truth is, God is the source of all that is good. Without His presence in our world there would be nothing good – in people or in nature. The fact that we recognize that something is “good” is evidence in and of itself that God exists. But I ask the question in the title because in light of all that isn’t good in our world, it’s easy for God to either be left out of the equation, or for people to assume He can’t be good – i.e. the evil and badness in our world is His fault.

I’m not going to lie to you, there are things that bother me – a lot! Suffering children, hunger, such depravity revealed in and through how we as human beings treat each other. It’s discouraging and heart-breaking. Yet, the closer I get to the Lord, the more I realize, as much as it breaks His heart, He’s allowing it for a time, but He’s not ignoring or forgetting it exists.

Historically, to this day, when tragedy strikes, good people, and very often God’s people, are at the head of the lines of people wanting to help. Many hospitals, schools, orphanages, ministries to address hunger, slavery, trafficking, homelessness, fostering programs, adoption, and on and on are instituted by good people prompted by God’s love and mercy.

Just as there are people filled with the Holy Spirit, who love God and others, and who are seeking to live out their faith everyday in every way they possibly can, there are also people filled and ruled by Satan. Is Satan a defeated foe? Yes, of course, but until Jesus returns and puts Satan in his rightful place, we’re left in a spiritual “war-zone.”

This should catch no believer in Jesus by surprise. In His Word, the Bible, there are many statements by Jesus warning us that we will suffer in this world. Yes, some more than others, but all of us will experience things on earth that won’t be any part of heaven.

Someone has rightly said: “Earth is all the hell that believers in Jesus will experience and all the heaven those who don’t know Him will experience.” We can focus on the horrible things that are happening in our world and in our personal lives, and let them turn us away from God. Or we can focus on Jesus and all that He has done for us, all the cruelty He endured on our behalf, and let Him guide us to ways that we can become a part of the solution to some of the evil in our world.

The choice is ours. I’ve made my choice to love and serve Jesus and seek to bring as much help and hope to those who struggle as I possibly can. I pray you’ll join me.

God is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo GOOD!

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Is Propitiation? (Part 3)

“But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” (1 John 1:9 NLT)

It occurred to me that yesterday’s article may have raised more questions than it answered, so let me see if I can explain a couple of things that, hopefully, will make what I’m trying to get across more understandable.

My position is, I don’t believe when we come to Christ, all our sins – past, present, and future – are all forgiven. The penalty for all our sins has been paid and forgiveness for all our sins has been appropriated by the blood of Jesus, but we don’t receive forgiveness for sin until it’s confessed. The verse above says: “But IF I confess…” I can’t confess sins I haven’t yet committed; therefore, I don’t yet have forgiveness for them.

Why is that important to understand? Because if someone believes that all their future sins are forgiven and believing that leads them to think they no longer have any need to confess and seek forgiveness for their sin, they can go into eternity with unconfessed and unforgiven sin. They can then become like the man in the parable of the wedding feast that Jesus told in Matthew 22 who wasn’t dressed in a wedding garment. Jesus will not wrap us in His holy robe of righteousness while we’re living in unconfessed sin.

And please don’t “hear” what I’m not saying. I’m not speaking of people who love Jesus and are seeking with everything within them to live a life for Christ’s honor. Their faith is squarely placed in what Jesus accomplished for them on the Cross and are daily walking in submission to His authority in their life, yet sin on occasion.

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My concern is for someone who professes faith in Jesus but still lives in darkness. Someone who may have “prayed the prayer” of salvation but has not walked in obedience to God’s commands. Thus, there’s no evidence of repentance. They haven’t nurtured a personal relationship with Jesus because their only desire is to not go to hell. Their faith isn’t based on what Jesus has done on their behalf, it’s based on a misunderstanding of the doctrine of grace, that they believe let’s them follow their will, rather than God’s.

It’s those to whom the verse from Hebrews 10:26 applies: “Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume His enemies.”

Why is their no longer any sacrifice? Isn’t the price Jesus paid sufficient? Of course, it is! But the frightening implication of this verse is, there’s no sacrifice for sin for which no forgiveness has been sought. The blood of Jesus has covered the sins which we’ve confessed, and appropriation has been made for our every sin, but John says in the verse at the top of the page that Christ’s faithfulness to forgive is contingent upon our willingness to confess.

Confession is essential because it means we come into alignment with God’s estimation of our sin – that it’s deadly if not forgiven. The context of 1 John chapter 1 is we’re either walking in light or darkness. Verse 6 says: “So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.” In other words, we profess faith, but continue to live in habitual sin.

This is a critical issue! If someone thinks they are walking in harmony with the will of God yet are continuing to live in sin patterns that are clearly opposed to Biblical truth, they have no relationship with God and are not heading to heaven as they suppose. If they want to be saved, they must repent (turn from their sin) and seek forgiveness before it’s eternally too late.

Blessings, Ed