Dear Editor,
The movie theater has been busy with a trio of God flicks. I’m happy for the new cinema and all of its activity. But, I have a question for you.
Now that we know that God judged the world with a flood in the days of Noah. We know that God is not dead but He is surely alive. We know that heaven is for real. What’s your belief and decision about the Lord Jesus Christ?
Knowing about God, heaven and judgment, believing in what has been portrayed through these movies does not make anyone a Christian.
A Christian is a Christ-In-You. A Christian is a person who has been imparted with the Spirit of Christ through believing what God has said about his/her condition of being dead before Him and separated from Him by sin. We then come to Jesus Christ by faith after hearing the Good News of what He has done for us at the Cross to receive life and a new position before the Lord our God. This new relational position brings us to God and makes us desire to live rightly before Him. This is accomplished by the Holy Spirit whom God imparts to us when we come to true belief in His Son.
God requires that a sinner be atoned for by a sacrificial blood offering. The only blood offering that God will accept for the forgiveness of sin is the blood of His provided Lamb who is Jesus our Christ, Savior and Messiah.
Far too many people believe that movies, books and other such media are going to make a person a Christian. Only God makes Christians and the only Way to God is through the sacrificial offering of His Son Jesus.
There are also far too many people who believe that their good works and religious activity are going to get them right with God. If you are a sinner you are a sinner. You can do nothing to get right with God. But, here’s the Good News, God did for you what you could not do for yourself. He sacrificed His Son that your sin could be forgiven when you surrender to Jesus’ work of your behalf.
Let me tell you that God is not dead. There is a realm beyond this one referred to as heaven. God did judge the world with a flood and He has said that He is going to judge the world again.
The ark of salvation that God has provided is the work of Jesus for us. He proved this work to be true with the resurrection that has just recently been celebrated also.
Would you like to escape God’s next judgment that will fall upon all the wicked and sinful people of this world? You can if you will come to Jesus. For only His work will save you from God’s coming wrath against your sin.
Pastor Thomas R. Swain
First Church of God
Great Bend