The Most Important Decision

The most important decision of your life needs to be made today.

For forgiveness of your sins, and to receive God’s eternal salvation, build your life on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ. 

These passages from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, tell you how:

So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. (Romans 10:17) Hear the Word of the Lord.

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. (Romans 3:21)

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)  Believe that Jesus Christ is God’s son, the Messiah (the Savior), the one sent to save us from the hell we deserve for our sins, and instead allow us to live with Him today and in heaven for all eternity. 

But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ (Luke 18:13)  See your need of Jesus and acknowledge that you are a sinner (repent, which means to turn away from your sin.)

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.  (Romans 10:9-10) Confess that Jesus is Lord and that you want Him to be Lord of your life!

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.  (Ephesians 2:8-9)

But too many people stop at this point. 

They think that since they are now "saved" they can go about doing whatever they want, thinking salvation is like a get-out-of-hell-free card, or an insurance policy. 

On Sunday they heard and believed that Jesus died for them, they wept, said they had repented, or were repentant in that emotional moment, saying that they accepted the free gift of salvation, yet on Monday they went their own way again, doing what they wanted, and not what the Lord says is right.

Paul warns us against this type of thinking, and Jesus also warned against this in the Parable of the Sower.  This is Jesus talking, as written down in the book of Matthew, chapter 13:

¹⁸ “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: ¹⁹ The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. ²⁰ The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. ²¹ But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. ²² The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. ²³ The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

The Bible tells us that true salvation involves a heart change.  This is called "repentance" (which means a turn, an about-face, a turning away from sin):

Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. (Acts 3:19)  

But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.  If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.  (1 John 1:7-9)  Confess your sins and apologize to God, turn away from your sins, and follow what Jesus Christ says to do: Be baptized and abide with Him (faithfully follow Christ).

Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

In the Bible, when people believed and accepted Christ, they were immediately baptized       (there was no "Baptism Sunday.") 

Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. (Luke 3:3)

Getting baptized is a public declaration that your old life of sin is being washed away; and it is the dawn of your living in a new way, following Jesus Christ as Lord of your life.  

Moments prior to being baptized you will openly declare your faith in Jesus Christ to others.  You will be asked who Jesus is to you.  If your answer is that Jesus is the Christ (which means "Messiah" or "Savior") and that He is the Son of the Living God, then you will be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  

Baptism is the Gospel Re-enacted!  Jesus died, was buried, and was resurrected.  In baptism, you are "Putting on Christ" or "Clothing yourself in Christ" - you are dying to your sin, being buried in water, and being resurrected to a New Life in Christ!   

In the book of Acts, Chapter 2, Peter preached the very first sermon on the Day of Pentecost:

³⁸ Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” ⁴⁰ Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”  ⁴¹ Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.

When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.  For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.  Colossians 2:11-12   

 

Abide in Him (Live faithfully, following Christ):

Luke 3:8a says: “Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’…”

Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. (Mark 8:34-38) Determine to follow God’s ways, not your own. 

But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve…But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.  (Joshua 24:15)  Live faithfully!

And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble,the rock that makes them fall.”  They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.  But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:8-9)  Thank Him and ask Him to lead you in your new life!  Abide daily in Jesus Christ.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

To learn more, read this short article, What is “The Gospel”? from Got Questions.org.

A longer article on why Jesus had to die for us is found on EveryStudent.com, “Why Did Jesus Die?”

I thought these two articles were very succinct and meaningful.

You may also wish to read my post Spreading the Gospel.

Have the Bible read to you:

Here is a link to someone reading the entire 66 books of the Bible on YouTube. It is the King James Version, which is a bit more difficult to understand in some places due to our changing language, but it is beautifully written and pleasing to listen to.

Buy a Dramatized Bible Reading from Amazon:

The Word of Promise Audio Bible, 66 books in the New King James, which has language that has been modernized, for $42. You can listen to a sample.

The 30 Day Challenge:

Read, or have read to you, the entire New Testament in 30 Days! Here is the link to JustChristians.org 30 Day Challenge. (Free!)

 

Free Newsletter:  House to House, Heart to Heart 

Email Matt@housetohouse.com or Get.housetohouse.com to see if they can send you an 8 page newsletter for free.  I'm really enjoying mine!  The articles have been extremely interesting and compelling, and they also have one or two puzzles to complete in each newsletter, which I also enjoy.  

2025 Topics will be:

January - Is Jesus real or legend?

February - Three facts that changed the world forever

March - Do we obey the 10 commandments today?

April - The doctor who never lost a case

May - Don't lose your Bible in church

Spring Special Issue - Calvinism versus the Bible

June - Jesus never watched sheep, but He is the Good Shepherd

July - Who are the churches of Christ?

August - A farmer who never plowed a field

September - Are all religions equally valid?

October - Jesus made a blood donation for you

November - Defeating the 3 enemies within

December - Standing knee-deep in a river of blessings

 

World Video Bible School.org

video.wvbs.org is a wonderful way to learn more about God, Jesus Christ, and the Bible. There are over 1000 videos, and they are all free! I’ve watched several and they have great theology and stick close to the Bible. They will answer your questions about core Christian principles and deep spiritual topics.

They also have a FREE school to become a preacher of God's Word.  I am currently auditing the video classes. It is free, I can watch the videos whenever I want, and I don't have to take any tests!  

I was in a stagnant place in my Bible reading and I am thrilled to be learning more theology from very qualified "old-fashioned" Bible teachers!

 school.wvbs.org

I have bookmarked this page so it is easy for me to find each morning.

Church Services Online

You can watch a church service that adheres strictly to the Biblical truths at JustChristians.org, in either Spanish or English.

There are now many churches having their sermons online, but whom can you trust?

Personally, I choose to listen to ministers from the Church of Christ. Churches of Christ are elder-led, independent churches (no headquarters) who follow the New Testament teachings to the best of their ability. They also have a tradition of singing worship songs a capella. Christianity.com 10 Things to Know about CofC History and Beliefs does good job of quickly explaining what they believe.

• Adhere solely to the Bible (sola scriptura).  Bible is the “constitution” of the church and practices.
• Autonomous congregations that are solely elder-led.
• Elders are chosen by each congregation using 1 Tim. 3:1-8 qualifications.
• Male-led congregations: Ministers, teachers, evangelists, missionaries.
• Congregations decide how to help the widows, orphans, and aged.
• Congregations decide how to help preach the gospel worldwide.
• Believer’s baptism by immersion.
• Communion is taken together every Sunday.
  
• Church believes in spiritual unity with other Christians based upon the Bible.
• Church tries to represent in modern times Christ’s original church first established on Pentecost.

[Warning Note: The United Church of Christ is NOT the same church. Whenever you see United in a church title they will often teach a Social Justice gospel – not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Also, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is a Mormon church (cult) and is not affiliated with the Churches of Christ.]

As a recap:

Churches of Christ regularly teach that the process of salvation comprises the subsequent actions:

• – One must be properly taught, and hear (Romans 10:14-17);
• – One must believe or have faith (Hebrews 11:6, Mark 16:16, John 3:16, Acts 2:37);
• – One must repent, which means turning from one’s former lifestyle and choosing God’s ways (Acts 2:38; Acts 17:30; Acts 3:19);
• – One must confess belief that Jesus is the son of God (Acts 8:36–37 and Matt: 10:32-33);
• – One must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38 and 41); and
• – One must live faithfully as a Christian (obey Christ and abide with him) (1 Peter 2:9).

Directory of churches of Christ in the USA

Directory of churches of Christ worldwide

 Salvation is promised to those who believe, accept, and obey Jesus Christ.  Peter declared that about Jesus: "There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under Heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

Jesus stated, "For unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins." (John 8:24)

Also, Jesus said, "Not everyone that says to me 'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father, who is in Heaven." (Matt. 7:21)

 

The Church of Christ is not affiliated with any denomination or group.  We study no book but the Bible and regard that authority in all we do: in worship, in teaching, and in benevolence.

12 Compelling Reasons for Attending Church on Sundays & Wednesday Evenings

1. To be with Jesus (Matthew 18:20)
2. To find personal peace and satisfaction (Philippians 4:7)
3. To have the Scriptures opened in fuller understanding to us (Luke 24:45)
4. To receive, and give, comfort and encouragement in fellowship (Hebrews 10:24)
5. To exercise our faith (Romans 10:17)
6. To maintain our spiritual fervor (Matthew 24:12)
7. To feed our spiritual appetites (Matthew 5:6)
8. To teach your children and grandchildren the importance of regular attendance (Matt 5:6)
9. To seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33)
10. To be inspired and admonished by the singing of spiritual songs (Colossians 3:16)
11. To be strengthened and comforted in prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
12. To cast your vote for righteousness and godliness and against closing the church (Matthew 12:30)

The above was written by Stanley Sherman, digested from an article by Bobby Dockery "Compelling Reasons for Attending Church."

Will Your Children Go To Heaven?

Proverbs 22:6 tells us to "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it."  A survey showed that:

• When both parents were active in the work of the Church, 93% of the children remained faithful to the Lord
• When one parent was active, 73% of their children remained faithful
• When both parents were only marginally faithful, their children remained faithful only 53% of the time
• When both parents attended church infrequently, only 6% of their children continued in the faith 

Which of the 4 describes your household?  It is not too late to change!  

(Via the bulletin of the Grant Street church of Christ in Decatur, Alabama)

 

Sunset Church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas is at Sunset Connect on YouTube (link will take you to their most recent videos). 

In the video below, they have 10 songs interspersed throughout the talking. Songs on the link below include We’re Marching to Zion; Great Things; All to Us; Highly Exalted; In Need; I Stand in Awe; Let It Rise; the Celtic song Oh How Good It Is (one of my favs); His Grace Reaches Me; and Build Your Kingdom Here.

May God bless you as you turn to Him and Praise Him in all things,

Janine