The only true and living God has given an unsurpassable gift to mankind. What have you done with the wonderful gift of God.

Your concept of God

The giving of gifts is a habit that is common to every community of humans. People give gifts and receive gifts for various reasons. What seems equally common is that most give gifts or receive gifts from people they consider to be friendly to themselves.

 

People usually overlook or ignore those they have had a quarrel with, or those they dislike, or those they are not on good terms with, for whatever reason. People’s style of giving mirrors the pattern of their lifestyle: they relate well with those they consider to be nice to them or that are doing what they like for the moment.

 

Further, many people tend to shun those they disagree with, those who have hurt them in any way, and those whom for whatever reason they dislike.

 

However, there is someone who transcends the status of our relationship with Himself. That is, God. I am grateful that God is so unlike us.

 

Many deny the existence of God. Many do not believe in God. And of those who believe in the existence of God, there is a hodgepodge of ideas as to who God is, should be or ought to be, and then order their lifestyles according to such cacophony of erroneous thinking.

 

But what is your concept of God? Think for a moment about your idea of God.

God is not like humans

However, God is very unlike humans. He does good to both the good and the bad. Hear what the Lord Himself said about God the Father:

“he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Mat 5:45).

 

God was there in the beginning and then created man. Every human has an appointment with God after they are done with this world. When all is done, God will still be there. The question to you reading this is,

“When it is time for you to meet God, will you be ready?”

 

It is a wonderful thing that God is not like any human being. It is even more wonderful that God loves His creation, especially us humans. Perhaps you are wondering how I know God loves us humans so much, well do not take my word for it. Listen to the testimony of the Word of God:

 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

 

This is one of the most often quoted verses of the Holy Bible. Truly, we have a wonderful God whose ways are wonderful too. He does everything wonderfully, and beyond our understanding. This is prominently displayed in His plan and dealings with mankind. So, let us take a closer look at this verse of the Holy Scripture to understand that though we may be used to a diversity of gifts from fellow humans, nothing compares to the wonderful gift from a wonderful God of all wonders to all mankind.

God’s wonderful love for man:

God created the world

For God so loved the world:

The term, “world” here stands for man as created by God as the inhabitants of the world. Two of the many instances this figure is similarly used are in John 7:4 and Acts 17:31.

 

God created man in His own image (Gen 1:26-27). God created man after He had created everything that man needed for a joyful and fulfilling living on earth (Gen 1:1-25). God then gave the man the privilege of His constant presence as He fellowshipped with man in the cool of the day. We are told that God created man for His pleasure (Rev 4:11). God wanted man to enjoy a wonderful relationship with Him, so He created man with all man needed in himself and gave him a conducive environment where man would thrive, and the capacity to relate with God as his personal God.

1.   Man believed Satan and disobeyed God

We do not know how long the loving relationship with God in the garden lasted before man transgressed the clearly laid down command God gave him (Gen 3). Despite the seriousness of the sin of Adam and Eve, the first human couple who gave birth to the rest of mankind, God’s love did not change. His deep love for man was what made God to make a way for man to come back to Him.

 

After the fall in the garden of Eden, man continued to do what he knew how to do best, i.e., run as far away from God as soon as possible.

2.   Man grew worse in wickedness

Remember that it was not that man was in some way repentant or even regretted what he did. Rather, man continued in his rebellion and as he multiplied on the face of the earth, his rebellion grew in leaps and bounds. So much so that this warranted the damning indictment from God,

“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Gen 6:5).

 

Even after the judgement of the flood, there was no apparent change in man concerning his rebellion against God. And so, concerning the situation of the heart of man, we are not left in any doubt as we are told:

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9).

 

Little wonder then that we are informed that,

“the whole world lieth in wickedness” (1John 5:19),

And this is still true even in our day!

God’s love chose to conquer man’s hatred

But God refused to be deterred by the attitude of man. He refused to be put off by the wickedness and rebellion of man. Rather, He went ahead with His plan of salvation for man. Hence, God had not only to take the initiative, but to persist in pursuing man to effect.

 

You hate your enemies, but God wants to save you who is His enemy

Come to think of it:

• Which of you reading this will love, and actively promote the good of your enemy?
• I am talking of someone you know hates you, and if he were to corner you in no-man’s land will not hesitate to plunge in the dagger?

 

For you who claims to be a Christian already, despite the Lord’s command that you should love your enemies and pray for them, you continue to pray that fire should consume them! Is it not true?

Hear the Lord:

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Mat 5:44).

 

Don’t lie! You will only be compounding your problem. Call down fire and brimstone; Continue to decree and declare; Nothing will happen to those your perceived enemies until they have fulfilled the purpose for which God has brought them into your life! You claim to be a believer in Christ, yet you are persisting in sin.

 

Please, repent now before it is too late!

 

And for you who is still living in rebellion to God, hatred is your stock in trade. You even boasting in avenging yourself for whatever wrong anyone does to you. But do you realise that hatred is consuming you, that it is taking much toll on you? Every man including you is an enemy of God living in rebellion to Him. Yet He wants to save you. Yet God has made plan to save you. You only need to accept His solution.

1.   But God’s Love of man is quite deep

Despite the wickedness of man, God has decided not to destroy human beings and replace them with another creature. Rather, God decided a long time ago before man even knew that He would save man even if that would cost Him His one and only Son, Jesus Christ who is God the Son.

 

The truth of the depth of God’s love for man is repeated numerous times in Scripture.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8).

 

It was not man who looked for or sort God out.

Rather, God took the necessary steps for reconciliation while man remained in rebellion.

As here, God commended, that is, demonstrated His love towards us, i.e. all men, that why we remained sinners, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to die for us.

 

As the Lord Himself said about the sacrifice He was then soon to make on behalf of man,

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

 

Will you die for anybody friend or enemy?

Even if you do, it will be futile in terms of their salvation for it will not save them from the coming wrath of God. Only the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross can save you and the rest of mankind.

 

No wonder that we are told and should thereby be reassured that,

“nothing shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:38-39).

 

This bears out the truth of the word God spoken through prophet Jeremiah,

“The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” (Jer. 31:3).

 

Further, we are told,

“God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.” (2Cor 5:19).

 

God has truly loved man with everlasting love!

 

Again remember: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

2.   God’s love for man is truly wonderful!

This love of God for man is truly a wonderful love beyond the understanding of fallen man:

• God’s love for man reaches out to everyone in every ethnic group, community, and nation in the whole world. And so, He commanded that the gospel news must be preached to all without exception,

 

• And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15).
• God’s love for man is so wonderful a love in that it delivers from sin and all its consequences, and it reconciles one to God with all the attendant blessings.
• God’s love completely heals and restores broken things (fallen nature, hearts, lives, homes and many more!).

God’s gift to man is truly wonderful!

that he gave his only begotten Son:

God gave His one and only Son for man! The Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son, is God’s eternal Son. He has no beginning and has no end of days. God needed not to offer such an unsurpassed sacrifice on behalf of man.

Yet of His own free will, God did offer His Son for man.

God’s gift to man is Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the Word of God who came in the flesh, that is, He became a man that He might save mankind:

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14).

 

Now, the question may be asked,

“If God has given us His best in Christ when we were yet sinners, what else would He not give us?”

 

The holy Scripture puts it much better,

“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Rom 8:32).

 

Christ who came into this world through a virgin birth, who lived a sinless life fulfilling every point of the law that no one else could, was made sin for us:

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2Cor 5:21).

 

God will and has actually given us all things:

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2Pet 1:3).

1.   Christ’s coming was foretold

And we were told of this unsurpassable, wonderful gift of God a long time ago, long before He was born:

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Is 9:6).

 

Further,

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1John 4:10).

 

An angel even announced His arrival at His birth:

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11).

Jesus Christ came to pay for our sin

Hence, Jesus Christ is,

“the lamb, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

 

Christ is God’s unsurpassable gift to man. No man can surpass God in giving. God gave His one and only Son up to:

• A humbling incarnation,
• A laborious servitude.
• And an ignominious sacrificial death on the cross, all in order to save mankind!

 

Truly Jesus Christ,

“was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed.” (Is 53:5).

Yes, He is the one,

“who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.” (1Pet 2:24-25).

 

What a wonderful gift from a wonderful God! Ever thought why this gift is so wonderful?

 

This gift is not an “it”, something lifeless.

It is not some gift you are given on some special occasion by another human being.

 

Please be reminded again,

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

1.   God’s wonderful gift to man is the one and only Son of God, Jesus Christ of Nazareth

• He is a being with life in Himself and the ability to give life to others.
• He died in your place as the penalty for your sins, was buried, resurrected, and He is now with God the Father interceding for you.
• He forgives sins, loves you and gives you peace and joy in the way no one else could possibly give.
• No one else including angels could have atoned for your sins.
  • But Christ did.

God gives faith, the ability to believe

that whosoever believeth in him should not perish:

whosoever:

Anyone, anybody, everyone, ALL without exception. It is a call to all humans. It does not matter what the person’s past happened to be.

 

Perish:

To come to ruin; to cause the destruction of persons, objects. The world, the unrepentant inhabitants of the earth are ready to perish when the wrath of God is poured on them. But there is a way of escape for whosoever will avail themselves of it: believe in or put their trust in Jesus Christ for their salvation. 

 

Therefore, whosoever believes in Christ will not come to ruin, will not be destroyed.

Faith is crucial here

The gift is God’s one and only Son, Jesus Christ. Faith is the crucial means of receiving Christ. That faith is also a gift from God. It is not one works for or can buy. No man can give it to you neither can you give it to anyone.

Do not loose sight of the gift

This is God giving assurance, a sense of confidence, security or certainty, especially concerning one’s salvation. It is a guarantee rooted in the integrity and the faithfulness of the immutable God.

 

The Word of God is saying to you now, if you believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God who came to save you, you will not be ruined or destroyed. You will not have to spend eternity in hell fire, and away from the presence of God. Rather, you will be saved.

 

This promise of God is anchored upon the integrity of the only true and living God. The covenant keeping God of Israel who created the whole universal. You cannot get a surer guarantee anywhere in the world.

 

Hence, we are warned that,

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36).

 

This is because of what God has given which cannot be improved upon. And we are therefore forewarned not to bother not to even bother looking elsewhere for:

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).

 

And,

“other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1Cor 3:11).

 

And the Lord Jesus Christ has the power to save,

“as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13).

 

This faith that leads to salvation is not something you work up or design yourself. Rather, faith it is a gift of God.

 

Again, ever remember,

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

Faith is a wonderful gift of a wonderful God

God made provision for our salvation. He also gives the faith to appropriate that provision. The faith that leads to salvation is a gift of God. It is truly a wonderful gift from a wonderful God:

 

• God’s gift of faith is the means by which we receive and appropriate the wonderful gift which is Jesus Christ.
• Faith pleases God. Faith makes us able to please God and this God-given faith makes everything possible. And we are to live by it for faith is a way of life (Heb. 10:38, 11:6; 1John 5:13):

 

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Heb. 11:6);

 

“Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” (Heb. 10:38 cf. Rom 1:17, Gal 3:11);

 

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1John 5:13).

God’s gift of a wonderful life

but have everlasting life:

Eternal life; time without end. Endless life.

 

Understand that both the saved and the unsaved, that is, those who remain in rebellion to God refusing to repent till the end, will live forever. The enormous difference is the place of that endless life: Those saved by the Lord Jesus Christ have eternal life in the presence of God forever. The unsaved will have their part in the lake of fire in hell, away from the presence of God for ever.

 

The will of God is that those who are saved have eternal life. This is the will of the Father whose will God the Son had come to fulfil,

“And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:40).

 

And so, the Lord says with confidence,

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” (John 6:47).

 

“Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even” (John 5:21).

 

Further, the Lord said,

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28).

Everlasting life is the wonderful life from a wonderful God

• Everlasting life is the God-given life, for only God can produce and perfect life.
• This wonderful life begins when we accept by faith God’s wonderful love and His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ.
• This life is so wonderful that not even death can separate us from the love of God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 8:35-39).

What is your response to God’s wonderful gift?

Again, let me remind you:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

 

We are given the Holy Bible that we might know the will and plan of God, and that we might be saved and have eternal life from God the Father through Jesus Christ, God the Son, by the power of God the Holy Spirit,

“but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” (John 20:31).

The believer in Christ

(genuine believer, not some professor living contrary to God and thereby deceiving himself)

 

If you are a true believer in Jesus Christ, John 3:16 is already true in your life.

 

• But how much do you value this wonderful God and His wonderful gift?
• Does your life reflect that valuation? Please check yourself again

 

You have a wonderful God who has done all these wonderful things for you:

• He has wonderful love for you;
• Has given you the wonderful gift of His one and only Son,
• The wonderful faith to believe and live a life of faith in Him,
• And the ultimate wonderful life lived eternally in His presence.

 

Be practical and live in that reality in your everyday activities of daily living.

• Do all you can to please Him in all that you do.
• Give him priority of place in all that you.
• Just as He demonstrated His love for you by what He has done for you,
• You should now begin to demonstrate your love for, and your high valuation of Him by your life style.
• Vigorously embark on the path to change now!

 

Remember, God’s love for us started it all:

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8).

 

And so, it is rightly said:

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” (1John 3:1).

The unbeliever

But if you are not there yet, if you do not yet believe, if Christ is not yet your Saviour and Lord, please make haste to rectify this anomaly now.

 

Remember also:

“the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 6:23).

And,

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8).

 

God has already given His best for you. You just need to pray, believe and appropriate God’s free gift now.

 

The benefits from this stupendous gift include:

• Deliverance from impending perdition;
• Conferment of everlasting life on the one so delivered.

 

Let this ever ring in your ears,

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

The Son of man has been lifted. Look up to Him NOW!

To bring this to a close, let me remind you of two of the numerous statements of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

The Lord Jesus said:

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15).

1.   The brass serpent in the wilderness

The Lord was reminding His hearers then of a poignant moment in the life of the Israelites in the wilderness. Most members of His audience would have remembered the story as they would have been taught many times at home and in the Synagogue. Though they knew the story, they would not have known the parallel and illustration the Lord was going to make:

 

In the case of the Israelites in the wilderness (Num. 21:4-9). They sinned by speaking against God and against Moses, the leader God gave to lead them to the promised land. God was angry with them.

And to punish them,

“the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and much people of Israel died.” (Num. 21:6).

 

When the people saw how others were being bitten and dying, those alive acknowledged their sin, repented and pleaded with Moses to,

“pray unto the LORD that he take away the serpents from us.” (Num. 21:7).

 

Moses acquiesced to their pleading and prayed for the people. In answer, God commanded Moses,

“Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.” (Num. 21:8).

Moses obeyed,

“made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.” (Num. 21:9).

 

The people knew they had sinned and that God was angry and sent the serpents. They also knew the solution God had provided, and the condition for appropriating that solution, so, as to live.

God’s solution to their problem was very simple: the one bitten only need to look at the serpent of brass on the pole, and he lived!

Simply following God’s instruction resulted in staying alive. Failure to follow God’s instruction resulted in death.

 

Remember, those bitten were just to look at the brass serpent and they live. Looking at the brass serpent was an indication that they believed God and the solution He had provide to save them from their imminent death.

 

The process of their salvation again:

The people sinned against God. Fiery serpents (a result of the wrath of God against the sinners) were sent amongst them. Those bitten died (perished). Those still living acknowledged their sin, confessed their sins, repented and pleaded with Moses. Moses pleaded with God. God provided the solution for their deliverance. Those who believed appropriated God’s provision and lived (did not perish).

Jesus Christ has been lifted up. Believe in Him and live!

The Lord Jesus Christ Himself pointed to this event in the life of the Israelites. He informed His audience, and by extension, all of humanity including you reading this, that He was in heaven, and had come down from heaven (John 3:13).

 

Further concerning this event, that,

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: ¹⁵ that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15).

 

Similarly, to the situation of the Israelites in the wilderness, all humanity are sinners in the sight of God since the fall of man in the garden of Eden (Gen 3). Every human being including you reading this has continued to fill up their cup of sin.

 

The Son of man, i.e., the Lord Jesu Christ was lifted up on the pole (the cross on Calvary) as He was crucified for the sins of the world.

1.   Every person has been bitten by the fiery serpent of sin

Just as those bitten by the fiery serpent looked onto the serpent of brass and lived. Every human being since Adam, in a manner of speaking, has been bitten by the fiery serpent of sin. All are in the strangling grip of death due to the poison of sin from which they cannot deliver themselves.

To be saved and live, all they have to do is to look onto Jesus Christ who has been lifted up on the cross for their Salvation.

 

There it is for you to know:

The Lord Jesus Christ is telling you now that just as those who were bitten by fiery serpents in the wilderness looked upon the brass serpent on the pole and lived, every sinner that looks onto Him on the cross of Calvary, that is, trust Him with their salvation will live and not perish.

2.   You are a sinner

Despite all your pretensions and protestations, you are a sinner. God Himself has indicted you. Oh yes, you have been bitten by the fiery serpent of sin, and its poison is working its way through the whole of your being and life. You carry the aroma of death due to sin. Everything you touch becomes contaminated by the corruption of sin. There is no cure for the ruin and death from sin that is coming upon you through the wrath of God if you do not repent.

3.   You cannot save yourself

But the merciful God has provided a solution, a way of escape so you would not die. That solution is that His one and only Son, Jesus Christ died for your sins.  The Lord Jesus Christ has been lifted up for you on the cross of Calvary. All you need to do to live is to look upon Him Now. That is, trust Him for your salvation and appropriate His work of redemption to yourself and you will be saved.

 

Again, remember, and let this ever ring in your ears,

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

His sheep hear His voice. But can you hear the voice of the Lord?

The Lord further said,

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28).

 

When the Lord said,

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27), The Lord was alluding to one aspect of the practice of sheep rearing in His day. An allusion or illustration His audience would have understood.

1.   Shepherding practice in Israel

In those days, each shepherd gave names to all his sheep. The shepherd knew his sheep and the sheep knew its shepherd.

 

Usually at the time to give water to the sheep to drink and for them to rest, several shepherds will gather the flocks together at the same well. Water will be drawn from the well and poured into the trough from where the sheep will drink. As the sheep jostle for a drink, they throw up much dust, and the sheep from the different flocks get mixed up.

 

When the shepherds judged that the sheep had had enough water, they will spread out round the sheep at some distance from the sheep. They will each then begin to call out their sheep by name from the midst of the dust and noise all at the same time, and not one shepherd after another.

 

The surprising thing is that, in the midst of the confusion, each sheep would recognise its name and the voice of its shepherd and the direction from which the voice of the shepherd came from, and it will make its way to that shepherd without any mistake! The shepherd in turn will recognise his sheep. At the end of this process, each shepherd will leave with all his sheep intact.

 

The Lord was using a practice His audience would have understood to teach them, and us the truth concerning Himself and His mission.

 

Just like the real-life shepherds of that day knew their real-life sheep, and their sheep followed them; Just as the physical sheep had names given them by their human shepherds. Just as the physical sheep could recognise the voice of its human shepherd in the midst of other voices and much noise and confusion; Just as the human real-life shepherd is heard by the sheep when he called his sheep by name, and the shepherd knew his sheep and his sheep followed him;

so, the sinners to be saved by the Lord Jesus Christ would hear His voice, and He knows them and they will follow Him.

• Are you the Lord’s sheep?
• Have you heard His voice calling you?
• Will you follow the Lord?

2.   Many voices but only one is true

Of the many voices you hear, only the voice of the Lord is true. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only one calling you in your best interest. All the others are calling you in their own interest, and to your own loss and ruin.

• Have you noticed the cacophony of voices clamouring for your attention?
• Can you see through the fog of the dust of corruption threatening to confuse and blind you? 

 

They come from all direction: From the devil and his agents, human and spirit. From false religion. From apostate Christianity. From man-made gods of all sorts. From human philosophy and reasoning. From self-made, others-appointed Messiahs and many more. They are all craving your attention and allegiance temporarily or permanently.

They are never in plain packaging. Rather, they come with subterfuge, packaged so attractively in a variety of sizes, that there is appropriate and enough portion for everyone.

 Can you hear the voice of the Lord above the hullabaloo? 

• If animals could hear the voice of man and recognise its master, why can’t man hear the voice of his maker and recognise it?

 

You are precious to God and He has set out to save you. He did not only speak, but He acted, He gave His Son for you. I cannot repeat this enough! Again, remember, and let this ever ring in your ears,

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

All the others want you for their own advantage. They are all going no where slowly but to hell. They want you to accompany them in their journey into perfidy and ultimately eternal separation from God and into hell.

Are you going to follow them? I believe you are wiser than that.

 

Please hear the voice of the Lord and follow Him now.

Now is the time of your salvation

A Christ-less life is a crises-filled, hell-heading life on a brakeless but fast-moving vehicle.

You need to get out of that vehicle now before it is too late, and it crashes headlong into hell.

 

So, you should act fast and NOW: Repent, that is, change your mind about what you think of God, Christ, sin and the purpose in life.

 

Perhaps you are wondering what to do; thinking “how do I become born again?”

The Scriptures say that:

1. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

This means that in God’s opinion, we fall short of His standard.

 

2. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

Our sin has earned a deserved wage which is death or separation from God in Hell.

 

3. “But God commendeth His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Even in our sin, God continued to show us His love and demonstrated this love by sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us. He thus gave Jesus Christ to the whole world (John 3:16).

 

4. There is only One step that must be taken:
5. “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Rom 10:9-10).

 

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

 

All that appropriate the sacrifice of Christ are acceptable to Him. For He Himself extended the invitation to all:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mat 11:28-30).

 

Why don’t you confess the Lord Jesus Christ NOW?

 

How you ask? Step 5

 

5. Arise now and confess with your mouth that the Lord Jesus had come in the flesh and died for your sins, confess that He is now your Saviour and Lord, and, believe in your heart that God had raised Him from the dead. Confess your sins to the Lord now. That is what it means (and for want of a better way to say it), to accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour and your Lord.

 

If you have done that sincerely, then you are now a born-again child of God, follower of Christ. It is not about what or how you feel, but what the word of God says. Still saying you need help as to what to pray?

 

You may pray like this:

Dear Lord Jesus, I now know, accept, and confess that I am a sinner. I deserve to pay the penalty for my sins but realize that I don’t have the means to pay. I accept and confess that You came to the world and died in my place and thus paid for my sins. I believe in my heart that God had raised you from the dead. From this moment, I put my trust in You as my Saviour and my Lord. I will continue to Trust in, Depend on and Obey You in everything for the rest of my life. Thank you, my Saviour and my Lord. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

 

That is it!

 

Again, I repeat: If you have done that sincerely, then you are now a born-again child of God, follower of Christ. It is not about what or how you feel, but what the word of God says. You are now a born-again bona fide child of God.

 

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

• But please understand that becoming born-again is the beginning of a New You in a New Life.
• It is the beginning of an eternal relationship with the Triune God.
• It is the beginning of a life-long journey of faith in and with the Lord Jesus Christ, and in company of other believers in Christ.

 

6. To continue earnestly on your New journey, and to nurture and grow in your relationship with the Lord, I encourage you to start along with the following:

• Look for a bible-believing church around you to be attending.                                                
• Fellowship with other believers as you have opportunity                                                                   
• Pray daily for others and for yourself.
• Read your bible daily asking for the Holy Spirit to explain the word of God to you.                                                                                                                              
• Witness to others about Jesus Christ

May our God guide and uphold you in Jesus’ name, Amen.