Eternal Hope

• Posted on Grant
• in My Journey
• on February 21, 2012
• Comments Off on Eternal Hope

Yesterday, I heard the news that a boy was hit by a car and killed while riding his bike. This happened just a couple blocks from where I live. Please pray for this family during this tragic time. My heart goes out to them. Hearing this news so close to home is very sobering and really made me stop and think. In an instant, everything that I know to be normal on this earth could be taken away.

John 3:16-21 says: “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 in Him 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. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly what he has done has been done through God.”

Are there areas in your life that need to be brought into the light? Hearing bad news should really make us stop and think about the important things in life. Do you believe that it is much better to repent openly and believe in Jesus to receive eternal life? Or, are you more concerned with what people think and how they will react if the bad, dark things in our life come to the surface and into the light so all can see.

We are all going to die at some point. When we inevitably die and stand before God, how will we be judged? Will He find us not guilty of our sin because we covered it up and pleased other people by making everyone on earth feel comfortable? No! Instead, God will hold us to the standard stated in the verse above. Accepting Jesus Christ’s forgiveness and believing in Him is all that will matter!

When I put my trust in Jesus an amazing thing happened. I am now truly free to live life to the fullest. When I mess up, I am not scared that people will find out. In fact, I can bring glory to God by repenting openly instead of hiding in shame. I don’t have to go through life hoping to make myself look good in front of other people. I can make decisions that are not based on fear, but that are based on the wisdom that God provides. All that matters is that I believe in Jesus with all my heart and learn more and more about Him, and how to have a relationship with Him. The more I focus on Jesus, the more everything else in my life comes into the right perspective. I don’t have to try to not sin. Instead, God replaces those dark places in my heart with life, and gives me His desires instead of the old desire to please my sinful nature.  What an amazing way to live!

Another verse to think about the fragility of life is James 4:13-17. It says: “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on  business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? Your are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”

Thanks for reading, I would love to know how these Bible verses have impacted your life.

GB