A Priceless Legacy
When our time comes to die, the most valuable possession we can leave our family is not money or any earthly goods. No, money cannot buy this legacy for it is priceless! The most precious inheritance we can leave to our loved ones is an assurance in their hearts of our eternal destiny. There is not enough money in the whole world that could ease the torment that comes from a questionable testimony of a loved one who has just passed away.
We are not saved by good works…not at all…for the Bible says,
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;” Titus 3:5
as well as
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9
There is not enough good that we could do to obtain eternal salvation; it is only what Christ has done for us! But, after salvation, the Bible says,
“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” II Timothy 2:19
The Bible has MUCH to say about a believer’s walk:
Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10
Ephesians 5:8 – “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:”
Colossians 1:10 – “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;”
Colossians 2:6 – “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:”
I Thessalonians 2:12 – “That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.”
I Thessalonians 4:1 – “Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.”
I John 1:6,7 – “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
I John 2:6 – “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.”
Some may try to say that how we live does not matter – it is only what is in our hearts that matters. Yes, salvation takes place within, where only God can see. But, the evidence of salvation takes place on the outside…where man can see. II Corinthians 5:17 says,
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
Is our family convinced of our salvation? By our life, are they persuaded that our eternal destination is Heaven?
James 2:26 says, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
We can say with our lips that we are saved, but the truth is, our walk talks louder than our talk. If our lives are not backing up what we are saying, we are putting a big “?” in the minds of our loved ones. The apostle Paul said of Timothy,
“When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.”
Could Paul see Timothy’s heart? Of course not. Yet, Paul was persuaded of Timothy’s faith! Again, are our lives convincing our loved ones of our unfeigned…our genuine faith in Christ?
Please, if you are not sure of your salvation, make sure today! And, if you have full assurance of your personal salvation according to what God’s Word says, present your life to the Lord for Him to do as He wills. Living our lives consecrated to God is not an unreasonable thing to ask. Romans 12:1,2 says that it is just reasonable:
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
A life fully surrendered to God is a victorious Christian life! A life fully surrendered to God now is a life that, after our death, will bring peace and comfort to our loved ones!
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Have You Ever Been Lost?
We’ve all heard stories of people out walking – perhaps on an unfamiliar trail – and suddenly they became aware that they were lost. Before that realization, they were most likely enjoying their time in nature without any thoughts whatsoever of needing to be found. But the sudden awareness of being lost in the woods brought feelings of uneasiness…maybe even fear to their hearts. Perhaps they began to cry out for help.
Have you ever been lost? No, I’m not speaking of being lost in a physical sense. The Bible tells us that Jesus came to seek and save the lost:
“For the Son of man {Jesus} is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10
Before a person can be saved, they must first realize that they are in NEED of a Saviour. Before a person can cry out for God to save them, they must first realize that they are a lost sinner on their way to Hell.
My friend, has there ever been a time in your life that you realized in your heart that you were a sinner? Have you ever seen yourself as lost? The Bible says,
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23
ALL have sinned. Every one of us was born a sinner.
“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one” Romans 3:10
Because of this, every one of us NEEDS a Saviour! Without a Saviour, we would all be destined for eternal death – separated from God forever.
“For the wages of sin is death…” Romans 6:23
Yes, the wages of sin is death, but I’m so very thankful to share with you the rest of Romans 6:23!
“…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23
God loves us so very much that He doesn’t want us to spend eternity in Hell. He desires for each of us to have eternal life with Him in Heaven! Because of this, He sent His only Son, Jesus, to this earth to pay OUR sin debt. Over 2000 years ago, Jesus came to this earth. His purpose for coming was to take OUR punishment on the cross. Jesus died FOR US!
“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
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
Think of that! Jesus died for you! Jesus died for me! But He didn’t stay dead. They put his body in a tomb and three days later He arose from that tomb! Jesus is alive!
“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” I Corinthians 15:3,4
Friend, I ask you again – have you ever realized in your heart that you were a sinner in need of a Saviour? That is the first step! Yes, it is a step that requires humility. It is a step that, sadly, many refuse to take. Why? Because most of us like to think that we are pretty good people. Therefore, to admit that we have sinned against a holy God really hurts our pride, doesn’t it? But tell me, is clinging to our pride really worth spending eternity in Hell? If you have never taken the first step of admitting to God that you are a sinner, won’t you do so right now?
Secondly, do you believe what the Bible says – that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin? Do you believe that He was buried and three days later He arose? If you, from your heart, can say, “Yes, I believe what God’s Word says about Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection” – you are almost there!
Thirdly, will you ask Jesus to be YOUR Saviour? Yes, He died for the whole world but each of us must personally ask Him to be our Saviour.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9,10
My friend, if you have never done so, will you humble yourself before God and admit that you are a sinner? Today, will you put your trust in Christ ALONE to save you? There are no magic words to pray because words do not save. But, as an example, here is what you can pray – being sure it is from your heart:
“God, I know I am a sinner, lost and deserving eternal death in hell. I am sorry for sinning against you – a holy God. I believe what your Word says – that Jesus died for my sins, was buried and rose again. Right now, by faith, I put my complete trust in Jesus alone to forgive me of my sins and be my Saviour. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me. Thank you for my eternal home in Heaven. Please help me to live for you.”
“And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” II Corinthians 5:15
After reading this post, if you have trusted in Christ alone to save you, will you leave a comment and let us know? We would love to rejoice with you as well as pray for you!