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Think you're TOO
SINFUL to be forgiven? Are you a sinner? living in sin right now? angry? hurt? confused? ready to just throw it all away and give up? |
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| Jesus came for sinners...
"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners---of whom I am the worst." (1 Timothy 1:15) |
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| Jesus came for those who need Him...
"It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick...for I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matthew 9:12 & 13) |
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| Jesus came to forgive you and
me...
"I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have One who speaks to the Father in our defense---Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:1-2) |
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| Jesus came for us
as we are...
"God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) |
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| The truth is, Jesus spent the overwhelming majority of His time with people who didn't fit into "polite society". He ate and drank with prostitutes, drunks and common working-class people. These weren't the most righteous people, some of them never even went to Temple, but we never really see Him judge or condemn them...all we see Him do is accept and love them. | |
| On the other hand, He has plenty of condemnation for the self-righteous, holier-than-thou, ultra religious crowd... | |
Jesus said: "I have come into this world that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." (see John 9:39-41) The religious people in
the crowd took offense and said
"What, are we blind too?" Jesus answered
them: Jesus wanted them to admit to themselves that they had a problem. To be saved, they needed to accept that they needed salvation. |
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In Matthew 19:16-26 Jesus meets a wealthy young man who claimed he had never sinned his entire life ("I have kept all the commandments from my youth"). Jesus challenged this rich and self-righteous man to sell everything he owned and give all his money to the poor. The guy couldn't (or wouldn't) do that. Back in those days, many people believed if you were wealthy it was because God had blessed you and if you were poor, blind or crippled it was because God was punishing you. Rich = saint. Poor = sinner. So it surprised Jesus' disciples when He said to them: "It's really hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven". They asked: "If this guy can't be saved then who can be saved?" Jesus replied, "With man this is impossible----but with God all things are possible!" |
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Did you get that? The reason we need a Savior is because it is impossible for us to save ourselves. |
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With whom do YOU identify? The Pharisees and the rich young ruler who were trying to earn their way into heaven...or the spiritually bankrupt tax collectors, prostitutes and potty-mouthed fishermen who trusted in Jesus for their salvation? You've got to choose: either you're going to save yourself by your own good works (good luck!), or give up and allow yourself to drown, or reach out and take hold of the salvation being offered to you. I pray that you take hold of the God who loves sinners and sent His own Son to die for them... |
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But aren't we supposed to do "good works"? (click here to read more!) |
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OR click HERE to learn why RELIGION can never save your soul... |
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