Many people shrug their shoulders at the contention that they are sinners, saying they have never really committed any serious sin or wrongdoing. They have been, according to their own understanding, good moral people – good citizens. They have paid their taxes, have never been in trouble with the law, take pride in being good neighbours and are generally nice people.
They have never been drug -addicts or alcoholics or abused their spouses or their children. They may have gone to church and worked hard all of their lives, perhaps establishing enviable reputations or standing in the community.
However, the bible tells us we are all sinners because we have broken God’s laws, whether we recognize it or not.
“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23)
We may be “gentle sinners” as opposed to “vicious sinners” who have hurt others; but sadly, even “gentle sinners” are often blind to the reality that they cannot get to Heaven because of their good deeds and moral lives. They’re under the dangerous illusion that being a good person is their ticket to Heaven.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:8-10).
Knowing God means setting aside our religious doctrines to have a personal relationship with Him. A intimate relationship with Jesus Christ is the key to everlasting life. Only when a person repents and invites Jesus to be Saviour and Lord, can a person have the right to go to Heaven. We have been bought and paid for with a price – Jesus died for us on a cross and appropriated for all mankind’s sins. Once we have asked God for forgiveness and repent of our worldly ways, we receive Salvation, and in God’s eyes, we are washed whiter than snow – our transgressions are cast into the sea of forgetfulness.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:8-10).
By today’s standards, the first sin didn’t seem all that bad. Eve and Adam simply disobeyed God’s command not to eat from one tree in the middle of the garden, by succumbing to the serpent’s temptation to eat its fruit.
The real problem is that most of us do not understand the damage caused by even the most innocuous appearing sin. To catch a glimpse of the magnitude of the fallout, we need to look at the results of the first sin recorded in the Garden of Eden. (Read Genesis 3:1-24). That one act of disobedience alone brought in sin, sickness and death – not just to the world, but also to the whole of creation.
Consequently, every time a person sins, the effects are felt throughout the whole creation. We are like tuning forks; when we sin, we send discordant notes throughout the world, affecting people and nature, causing immeasurable damage. God knew that the only way to get us to understand the damage caused by our sinning, and to deal with it, was to send His son, Jesus to suffer and die on the cross. That alone demonstrates the measure of our ignorance and disobedience.
“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).
Jesus told the Pharisee, Nicodemus (a leader of the Jews), that he must be born again to enter the Kingdom of God.
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:16).
When Nicodemus questioned how that could even happen, Jesus explained that he had to be born twice; once with water for repentance, and once of the Spirit, the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
There are two components to being born again. The first is to be baptized with water for the forgiveness of sin (John the Baptist’s baptism). The second is Jesus’ baptism of fire, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. When John the Baptist was asked if he was the Messiah, he said:
“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11).
Because the “great commission” given to us by Jesus involves telling other people the message of the gospel so that they too can be saved, Jesus said He was sending the Holy Spirit to give us the necessary power to be His witnesses:
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16).
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be My witnesses Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
An important aspect of the ministry of Jesus, was to introduce us to the person and personality of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who empowers us to take the offensive position in spiritual warfare. It is He who gives us the ability to tell others about Jesus Christ and demonstrate our own personal relationship with Him.
Through His enabling, we have the gentle boldness to introduce people to Jesus personally, so they too can know Him as friend, Lord, Saviour and God. He empowers us to reassure people that we do not have to be afraid of God anymore because Jesus paid for our sin debt.
It’s all about knowing God’s love and finding His plan for our lives. It’s important for people to understand that God will supply all of their needs “according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
Being filled with the Spirit of God gives us access to His guidance and direction for the rest of our lives. Being baptized with the Holy Spirit empowers us to maintain our relationship with Jesus, once we have been saved.
Excerpt from Rev. Gordon Williams', "VICTORY OVER THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS."
Rev. Gordon Williams' latest book "Victory over the Kingdom of Darkness", teaches how to overcome the kingdom of Darkness (ie. Satan/devil, demons, temptations, etc.) with confidence and understanding.
Click here to order your copy.
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