Being Nice Will Not Save You...

This reminded me of my Mama's funeral!! Bro. Tommy reminded the crowd of several wonderful things about my Mama...and there were a bunch!! And then he said...But if this is all Mrs. Brenda was, and she did not have Jesus in her heart, she would have still gone to hell. I raised my hand in victory, full of worship right there in a funeral, because I know FOR SURE that my Mama had Jesus in her heart!

This truth is so hard for many to hear. They may ask if God is truly a good God, how He would let seemingly good people go to hell. The answer is so deep and far more vast than a Facebook post can cover, but in simple terms...Praise God that He made a way at all!

The fact that He did, through Jesus Christ His Son, is evidence of His love and compassion for humanity, which has fallen into wretchedness and evil, and without Him remains condemned...even nice people like my Mama!

Even more...think about this! Pay attention to that word "remains!" This means that Jesus does not condemn people...they are condemned WITHOUT HIM. Condemnation is not something that God and the Bible believing, Jesus-following community of Christians are bringing!! To remain in condemnation is a choice! God's desire is to give you TRUE FREEDOM IN HIM, to give us the choice of life in Jesus, making us pure and holy so that we can stand before Him a pure and holy God!

Also recognize this...that uncomfortable feeling you get when someone is talking about Jesus....Satan wants you to call that condemnation and judgment, and he wants you to get angry and push those people out of your life. God wants you to think of that differently. That icky feeling you are getting is God revealing your need for Him to you. It is called conviction. Don't push it away! Choose Him and call on Him today!! If you need to talk more about it, please reach out!! I would love to tell you how Jesus saved me from my wretched self!

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

"Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

"For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] [a]only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him.

Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him].

This is the judgment [that is, the cause for indictment, the test by which people are judged, the basis for the sentence]: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For every wrongdoer hates the Light, and does not come to the Light [but shrinks from it] for fear that his [sinful, worthless] activities will be exposed and condemned.

But whoever practices truth [and does what is right—morally, ethically, spiritually] comes to the Light, so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are—accomplished in God [divinely prompted, done with God’s help, in dependence on Him].” John 3:16-21 AMP