 Did you know God gives you the right to choose, and He also tells you how to choose?
This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. Deuteronomy 30:19 (NIV) WHY? Because He created humans to have a relationship with Him. Genuine relationships allow individuals to have autonomy—to grow and learn about one another. He didn’t want robots that would only do what He made them do. Although God knows all about you and me- every thought we have, every word before we speak it, and every action, good or bad- He wants us to come and sit down with Him and talk, a.k.a. pray. When we err in our decisions and choices, He offers forgiveness. EVIDENCE: “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18 Parents don’t need to teach their children how to be selfish or disobedient; they teach them right from wrong. Our Heavenly Father does this to perfection. He tells us how to live and why. He also knows we won’t always make the right choices. We are all born as sinners. We are naturally selfish and stubborn. But God wants us to realize how much He loves us, come to Him with those bad choices, and accept His forgiveness. This is a lifetime journey. We improve along the way as we listen more to God and less to ourselves and the world around us. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME? When we turn to culture instead of His word for the truth, we make choices that are contrary to His best for our lives. That’s why we should always check what the world tells us against what God says through Scripture and prayer, asking Him to provide the discernment we need. This doesn’t mean that making the right choices is easy. Some cultural values become deeply rooted in us, and changing our thinking can be difficult. But as we seek God and allow His word to renew our minds, He can help us choose what is right—even when it goes against the world around us. Want to learn more? Click on the WHY JESUS button.
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Did you know God sent His son, Jesus, for you? For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 WHY? Because God wants us to live in heaven with Him. But God’s holiness requires perfection—a sinless life. It requires that we never tell a lie, even a little white lie, never have an unkind thought or word for anyone, and never do anything that harms anyone. Unfortunately, we’re all guilty of sin, and it requires a blood sacrifice from a sinless source. EVIDENCE: Also, for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. Genesis 3:21 The first sin of Adam and Eve required the death of a sinless creature to cover them. It became a required sacrifice that was repeated every time they sinned. The death of Christ for our sins never needs to be repeated. Only believed in and accepted. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME? Because Jesus came, lived a sinless life, and gave Himself to bear the punishment for our sins, we have hope. We don’t have to carry the burden or penalty for our sins. Through Jesus, God offers us the gift of forgiveness. But until we receive that gift through faith in Christ, we remain accountable for our sin—every unkind thought, word, or deed. Want to learn more? Click on the WHY JESUS button on my About Me page. |