ptl@fluke.UUCP (Mike Andrews) (12/10/85)
Hi,
Thanks for the questions. One neat thing about salvation is that
there is nothing we can do to earn it, we can only accept it by faith.
I love Paul's two liner in Romans 4:4-5 - "Now, when a man works, his
wages are not regarded as favor but as his due. But when a man does
nothing, yet believes in him who justifies the sinful, his faith is
credited as justice." I like the *does nothing* part; God makes me
right with Himself (that is justified) only by my believing He sent
Jesus to save me by letting Himself be killed as an offering. Why God
chose to save us with such a sacrifice, I don't know. Why didn't He just
say "You are all forgiven, and that's it, nothing is required of anyone."
He appears to have said `Nothing is required of you but belief that I love
you enough to let my son die for you, and He'll do that for you for free.'
As for what faith is, Hebrews 11:1 says "Faith is confident assurance
concerning what we hope for, and conviction about things we do not see."
That kind of Faith can only be given by God, and received by us. We just
have to ask, and expect to be answered. Hard, yeah. Worth it, you bet.
I like knowing I've got Someone who cares for me, no matter who or what
I am or what I've done. And I like knowing there is a goal at the
end of life as we know it in the physical world, and it'll be eternity
with God in Heaven.
Because it is all gift, we don't have the right to judge others,
whether Christian or not. This is a trap I fall into every once in
a while. This is why we can't even judge Hitler; only God knows.
God Bless your journey with Him. Keep in touch. email is fine.
Mike Andrews
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God says He is always with us, and will not leave us.
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ARPA : fluke!ptl@uw-beaver.ARPA
UUCP : {uw-beaver, sun, allegra, sb6, lbl-csam}!fluke!ptl