Monday, March 18, 2019

WHAT IT MEANS TO ACCEPT JESUS


You often hear preachers say that you
have to accept Jesus Christ and believe in Him to have salvation.
However many people do not understand what it means to accept or
receive Jesus..
We read in John 1:9-13 speaking about
Jesus:“ 9There was the true Light which, coming into the
world, enlightens every man. 10He was in the world, and the
world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11He
came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive
Him. 12But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to
become children of God, even to those who believe in His
name, 13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh
nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Jesus came for the lost children of
Israel, to save them from their sins, and even though they were
expecting their Messiah they did not recognize Him, nor accept Him.
They had Him crucified and therefor salvation was extended to ALL who
believe in Jesus and accept Him.
We read in John 3:16 "For God so
loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. “
When reading these verses as published
in the English language, in the many different versions of the Bible
that are available today, readers are led to believe that you only
need to believe in Jesus and confess to accept or receive Him to have
eternal life. That is why many falsely proclaim that salvation is a
free gift from God that you just have to be willing to accept, even
though you don't want it. The true meaning of those words, to accept
and receive Jesus are much deeper and more compelling, than that
presented in modern Bible versions. The New Testament books of the
the Bible were originally written in Greek because Greek was the
universally accepted language for communication and writing around
the Mediterranean at that time. The meaning of many scriptures were
changed by the translators and Bible publishers, and so the true
meaning of many scriptures were perverted or even lost, when the
different Bible versions were written. Many phrases in the King James
Version do not reflect the message presented in the original Greek
writings. The same happened in the case of the two scriptures that I
have just read. Today, with the internet it is possible for any
person to investigate the true meaning of the scriptures even though
they have no knowledge of the Greek language. Biblehub.com presents
the original meaning of every word in the Bible if you want to
research it.
John 1:12”But as many as received
Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God,” The true
meaning is: As many as have taken hold of Him, He gave the privilege
or capacity that would enable them to become children of God,
“even to those who believe in
His name, “ those who truly believed that He is the Light of
the world, God in the flesh.
“13who were born, not of blood nor of
the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” They
would become born again, by the Spirit of God, to be children of
God.”
Accepting and receiving Jesus is not
passive faith in Him, but rather requires that we embrace and lay
hold of Him, go after Him and submit ourselves to Him and His
lordship.
We read in John 3:16 "For God so
loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. “ The
phase “believes in Him” has a much deeper meaning than that
conveyed by the popular English translation. It should rather be “who
is committed to Him.”
The gospel of Jesus Christ requires
commitment, obedience and dedication to Jesus, to obey and follow Him
until the end. It is not the shallow message of easy believerism and
acceptance of a free gift of salvation that is preached in the world
today.
Most believers do not know and
understand who Jesus really is and what He requires of those who
believe in Him and hope to have eternal life. The message of Jesus
Christ has been diluted and made powerless through inadequate Bible
translations and a false gospel being preached by people who do not
know Jesus, neither do they have the Holy Spirit, so that they would
be enlightened by the truth.
The apostle Paul wrote in Colossians,
who Jesus really is and described His mighty power.
Colossians 1:15 ”He is the image of the invisible God, the
firstborn of all creation. 16For by Him all things were
created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all
things have been created through Him and for Him. 17He is before
all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18He is also
head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn
from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in
everything. 19For it was the Father’s good pleasure
for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20and through Him to
reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood
of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth
or things in heaven.


      21And although you were
formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil
deeds, 22yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body
through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless
and beyond reproach— 23if indeed you continue in the faith
firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of
the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation
under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.”


The CONDITION for salvation ,Paul reiterates in verse 23”if
indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast,
and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard,
which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I,
Paul, was made a minister.”


The hope of eternal life hangs on accepting Jesus Christ,
embracing Him as Lord, following and obeying His words, His gospel,
until the end. There is only One Savior, and one gospel that can save
and that is the words of Jesus Christ as also recorded in the
gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Accept Him and obey His words
and you will live. Repent and be baptized. Seek Him with all your
heart and He will give His Holy Spirit in you to teach and guide you.
If you reject Jesus and His words you have no hope of eternal life,
you will perish,


Accept Jesus today and stay with Him until the end.


May Jesus bless you.


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