Question :-
Please give me the explanation about 3 John 1:2. Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.
How our soul prospers?
Answer :-
In one line the answer is to be spiritually prosperous and that’s God’s will for us!
Many churches and people are focusing mainly on worldly prosperity and wealth by telling that God wants all Christians to be rich, healthy and be at the top, give 10% and get cash back up-to 100%, etc. They do lot of challenging contest and some even threaten by saying give 10% or pay a lot to doctors, you better decide. I’ve heard such messages, but God opened my eyes to know the truth. Thank God! Our God is not running a health or property insurance company. By saying all these lies false teachers twist God’s Word for personal benefits and deceive many so that they can become prosperous by draining others. Sure we all have financial needs and so many other needs, but surely God will meet our needs. God never promised worldly prosperity for new covenant believers like most people preach today, but He is more interested in giving us spiritual prosperity. Also, He said, seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Regarding 3 John 1:2, As John wrote this letter, he was addressing an elder, Gaius who was a faithful believer of our Lord Jesus Christ with a generous heart. It is apparent that Gaius was prospering spiritually. In other words, he valued spiritual riches more than he valued wealth. He had a heart to give to meet the needs of others. Verse 3 tells us Gaius’s heart. “Some of the traveling teachers recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you are living according to the truth.” Verse 5, “you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you.”
Gaius made the Apostle John very happy with his generosity. John encouraged him and offered him a blessing, that he might prosper in all things, just as he was already prospering spiritually in his soul.
Today, most people get this truth in backwards or reverse order by telling God, “Bless me first, then I’ll give.” Gaius did it right. He gave from what he had, not to get from God or from others to become rich or to get worldly prosperity, but just to be a blessing. He lived a selfless life and so John prayed that may he prosper in everything. His soul prospered because it was built on a solid rock foundation of truth. God wants us to prosper spiritually, seek His kingdom first and everything else will be added to you. He will never let you down, He loves you and He cares for you. Do not believe in false prosperity and false health. Abide in His love, the greatest blessing is to be with our God forever eternally. God bless you!
What does the Bible say about @#!*% ? Does it actually exist? Does the Bible say that there are people who will be sent there? Would it even be fair for anyone to be sent to @#!*% ? The truth is that those are some very tough questions. @#!*% is not an easy subject to discuss, because if you ever take much time to think about it you soon realize that the very concept of @#!*% is absolutely terrifying. But considering the fact that Jesus talked about @#!*% more than anyone else in the Bible, we should not be afraid of addressing the subject. The reality is that the Bible does teach that @#!*% exists and that there are people who are there right now.
That is not an easy reality to face, but the truth is that we have all violated God’s laws. That is why Jesus had to come to die on the cross as a payment for our sins. Because we are all guilty. We can all either turn to Christ and have our sins forgiven, or we can pay for our own sins. Those who invite Jesus Christ into their lives go to a place known as heaven when they die as we covered in our previous article entitled “What Does The Bible Say About Heaven?”, while those who reject the Lord Jesus go to a place of punishment known as @#!*% when they die.
Those are the only two options. Everyone on earth has a choice to make, and the Bible is abundantly clear about the consequences of those choices. John 3:36 is one example of how incredibly clear the Scriptures are on this point…..
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
Another example of this clarity is found in 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10…..
God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.
The truth is that the Bible is super clear on this. We have the choice of either turning to God and being saved or rejecting Him and going to a place where God offers no protection. In Matthew 23:33, Jesus even warned the religious leaders of His day that they were in danger of @#!*% …..
“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to @#!*% ?”
Perhaps this seems way too harsh to you.
After all, is it really and truly fair that some people are going to @#!*% instead of heaven?
Why does God not just let everyone into heaven and make everyone happy?
Those are fair questions.
So what are the answers?
Well, one principle that is abundantly clear in the Bible is that God seems to really value the idea of meaningful choice.
Apparently God felt that it was very important to create humanity with free will and to hold us responsible for the choices that we make.
After all, what kind of world would it be if mankind did not have free will?
In such a world mankind would be just be a bunch of robots.
Robots are great for getting jobs done, but they have one huge problem.
They cannot love.
In order to have real love, you have to have real choice.
God decided to create us with the ability to love, and therefore also with the capability to make real choices.
Real choices mean being able to choose to do good or to do evil.
So what should God do about that evil?
After all, if there never were any consequences for evil, what would that say about God?
This is a key point.
Take a moment and imagine the following situation in your mind…..
Imagine that someone in your family was just raped and horribly tortured by an incredibly sadistic, twisted and perverted serial killer who had been doing the same thing to other people for decades.
What would you be feeling if that actually happened?
Would you be angry?
Would you be crying out for justice?
Would you want to see that killer punished?
Would you want to see that killer sent to the electric chair or locked away for life?
Well now imagine that the serial killer has been captured by police and will stand trial for his crimes.
You feel (perhaps naively) that at this point you are finally going to get some real justice.
However, at the trial, the judge quickly dismisses all the charges and says the following to the serial killer: “Well, you did make a few little mistakes, but I’m willing to let them slide. You seem like a good guy. Let’s go hit the bars. I need a drink. Case dismissed!”
Now how would that make you feel?
More importantly, what would your opinion be of that judge?
You would not think highly of that judge at all, would you?
Why?
Because that judge would not be just and would not be worthy of an ounce of respect.
The reality is that evil deserves to be punished, and any judge that refuses to punish evil is a wicked judge.
The same applies to God.
Either he must punish evil, or He is not just.
For example, what if God said the following to Hitler: “I see that you killed 6 million Jews, but overall you seem like a good person…..come and let me show you around your mansion.”
Do you think that God would say that?
Of course not!
Anyone who believes that God is like that is totally delusional.
In the Scriptures we read that God is a God of perfect love AND a God of perfect justice.
Wickedness deserves to be punished, and God is most certainly going to punish it.
So where does that leave us?
Well, the reality is every person is going to face the justice of God some day.
Are you prepared for that day?
Most people really do not like to think about that because they do not want to be accountable to God or to anyone else for their actions.
But we are accountable to God.
Most of us prefer to believe that we do not deserve any punishment.
In fact, those who are truly guilty rarely think they deserve their punishment, while those who know what the guilty have done usually feel that they deserve even greater punishment.
Just take a trip to any prison some time and ask the inmates there if they feel that they got what they deserved. What you will find is that the vast majority of the prisoners will not admit that they truly got what they deserved.
But most of them did indeed get what they deserved, and some day each of us will stand before God and He will judge us.
Are you ready?
Does the Bible tell us anything about this coming judgment?
Well, the Scriptures do inform us that not everyone will receive the same judgment:
In Matthew 11:20-24 we read this…..
Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
So will your judgment be the same as that for Satan or for the person standing next to you?
No, it will not.
Remember, God is perfectly just, and we can trust God that all of His judgments will be completely just.
But the truth is that unless you have accepted God’s pardon for your sins, you will face punishment.
In Revelation 20:10-15 we read about that future day when those who do not belong to Jesus Christ will be judged…..
And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
The Bible says that getting thrown into the lake of fire is the final destination for all those who reject God.
The portion of Scripture above even tells us that death and @#!*% (Hades) will be thrown into the lake of fire.
If a person does not want to be cast into the lake of fire is there any way to avoid that?
Yes.
As we mentioned previously in this article, God is a God of perfect love and a God of perfect justice.
The truth is that God loves you so much that He sent His Son to die for you on the cross.
Jesus Christ took your punishment on Himself at the cross.
Jesus paid for all the sins of mankind as He suffered and died on the cross.
Being fully man, Jesus could die for the sins of all men.
Being fully God, Jesus could die for an infinite number of sins.
That is why the cross is so central to the Christian faith. It was the ultimate sacrifice and it was full payment for our sin.
The sacrifice on the cross satisfied God’s justice, so now God can offer you forgiveness of your sins and eternal life as a free gift.
A free gift.
Although it was not free – it cost Jesus dearly.
Will you reject a gift that cost so much?
In our previous article entitled “What Does The Bible Say About Heaven?” we explained how a person can accept that gift of eternal life.
All people need to do is to pray and invite Jesus Christ into the lives and God will forgive their sins and will give them eternal life.
Eternal life!
In fact, I John 5:11-13 tells us that we can know that we are saved and have eternal life…..
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Yes, the Bible does say that @#!*% is very real and that many people are headed there, but you do not have to go there. God has made forgiveness of your sins and eternal life with Him available as a free gift.
Please do not take that offer lightly.
What does the Bible say about heaven? It it a physical place? An idea? A state of being? The truth is that the Bible has a ton to say about heaven. The Scriptures tell us that heaven is an actual physical place and that God was the one who made it. The Scriptures also tell us that heaven is where God has His throne. According to the Scriptures, heaven is the destination for Christians when they die. But what even most Christians do not realize is that heaven is not the final destination for those who believe in Jesus Christ. In fact, the Bible tells us that God is going to build a new heaven and a new earth. The highlight of the new earth will be a massive city known as the New Jerusalem that will be the ultimate destination for those who belong to the Lord. But perhaps we are getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s take a look at what the Bible says about heaven one step at a time…..
In Genesis 1:1, the Bible tells us that God is the one who created the heavens and the earth…..
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Not only that, but in 1 Chronicles 29:11 the Scriptures say that everything in heaven and on earth belongs to the Lord…..
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.
2 Chronicles 7:14 tells us that God listens to us from heaven…..
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
In Matthew 23:9, the Lord Jesus Christ told us that God the Father lives in heaven…..
And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.
But even though Ecclesiastes 5:2 tells us that God is in heaven and that he listens to us, we are to treat Him with the utmost respect…..
Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.
Throughout the Scriptures God is referred to as the “God of heaven”. For example, Nehemiah 1:5 says this…..
Then I said: “O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands
In Ezra 1:2, we read that even the king of Persia knew that God lived in heaven…..
“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ” ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.
Psalm 103:19 tells us that God’s throne is in heaven…..
The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.
But although God has a throne in heaven, Jeremiah 23:24 tells us that not even all of heaven can contain Him…..
Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the LORD.
God looks down on us from heaven and watches what we are doing as Psalm 14:2 says…..
The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
Jesus declared that he was setting up “the kingdom of heaven”. Matthew 4:17 is one example…..
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
Matthew 5:19 tells us that those who break God’s commandments will be called least in the kingdom of heaven…..
Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus taught us in Matthew 6:9 to address God the Father as “Our Father in heaven”…..
“This, then, is how you should pray: ” ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name
Those who are Christians will have rewards waiting for them in heaven according to Matthew 5:11-12…..
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
In fact, the Lord Jesus instructed us to store up treasures in heaven in Matthew 6:19-21…..
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Jesus also said in Matthew 10:32 that those who acknowledge Him on earth will be acknowledged by Jesus in heaven…..
“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.
Luke 15:7 tells us that there is rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents and turns to God…..
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Jesus also said that He came from heaven in John 6:38…..
For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.
After Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead He returned to haven. In Acts 1:11 we read this…..
“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
In addition, according to Acts 7:55 Jesus is at the right hand of God right now…..
But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
2 Corinthians 5:1 tells us that heaven is the destination for those who belong to Christ…..
Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
In fact, Philippians 3:20 tells us that our citizenship is in heaven…..
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ
Revelation 19:11-14 explains that one day the Lord Jesus Christ will return to this earth from heaven and that the armies of heaven will be following Him…..
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.
Ultimately, the final destination for believers will be a new heaven and a new earth as 2 Peter 3:13 tells us…..
But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
After the new heaven and new earth are created, all mankind will worship the Lord there as it tells us in Isaiah 66:22-23…..
“As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the LORD, “so will your name and descendants endure. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the LORD.
Daniel 12:2-3 explains that those who have led many to righteousness will experience a great reward…..
Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.
Revelation 21:1-3 tells us the final destination for those that belong to Jesus. Without a doubt you will want to be there on that day…..
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”
So how can one get to heaven? Is there a way to know for sure that one is going to go to heaven?
Well, the truth is that there are some really good answers to those questions. To learn how you can have your sins forgiven and be assured that you will go to heaven someday, check out our article entitled “What Does The Bible Say About Salvation?”. It will explain how you can have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Heaven is very real and you do not want to miss out on it. Is there anything more valuable than eternal life in heaven? Do not take this article or this website lightly. Now is the time to decide what you are going to do about God. He is very real and He loves you very much. Please reach out to Him today.
If you have any questions please let us know. It is our hope and our prayer that we will see you on the streets of heaven someday. We encourage you to read more about it in our article entitled “What Does The Bible Say About Salvation?“.
What does the Bible say about salvation? That is a question that is on the minds of millions of people around the world even as you read this. After all, if there is an afterlife and heaven actually exists, who wouldn’t want to go there? In fact, if eternal life is real, there is not a single issue of greater importance to every man, woman and child on earth. Who would not give up everything that they own to live forever in paradise? All over the world people perform all kinds of religious acts in hope that they will gain favor with God. Some religious extremists even blow themselves up during suicide attacks, hoping that their “sacrifice” will enable them to get to paradise. But are those really ways to get to heaven? What does the Bible have to say?
The truth is that the plan of salvation described in the Bible is very simple.
It starts with God.
The Bible tells us that God created mankind and that He loves us very much.
In fact, God loves you more than you could ever imagine. The Scriptures go on and on about how great the love of God is and about how deeply He cares for each one of us individually.
But there is a huge problem.
The problem is that humanity is in deep rebellion against God.
The truth is that humanity has rejected God and His laws.
Most people like to think of themselves as ”good” people, but the truth is that we are not good. Each one of us has broken God’s laws over and over. We are lawbreakers and criminals before God. The Scriptures call us sinners.
Perhaps you think that you are a “good person” and that God should let you into heaven based on how good you are.
If that is what you believe, ask yourself this question:
Have you ever broken God’s laws?
Posted below is a summary of the 10 Commandments. Have you ever violated any of these?…..
) You shall have no other gods before Me. (Have you always loved God above everything else?)
) You shall not make yourself an idol. (Have you ever made a god in your mind that you are more comfortable with or ever worshipped anyone other than the God of the Bible?)
) You shall not take God’s name in vain. (Have you ever used God’s holy name as a cuss word?)
) Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy. (Is there anyone alive who has kept this commandment perfectly?)
) Honor your father and mother. (Have you ever disrespected your father or your mother even one time? If so, you have broken this commandment.)
) You shall not murder. (God considers hatred to be similar to murder).
) You shall not commit adultery. (Have you ever looked at a man or woman with lust in your heart? That makes you guilty of breaking this commandment because in Matthew 5:27-28 Jesus said “Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart”).
) You shall not steal. (Have you ever stolen anything? If so, that makes you a thief. The value of whatever you stole is irrelevant).
) You shall not lie. (Have you ever lied even once? If so, that makes you a liar).
) You shall not covet. (Have you ever jealously desired what belongs to someone else?)
The truth is that we are all guilty of violating the Ten Commandments.
We have all broken God’s rules.
In fact, if we took an honest look at how guilty we truly are we would be horrified.
Take a moment and imagine this - one of the biggest television networks wants to do a huge 2 hour prime time special starring you.
Doesn’t that sound great?
But instead of a two hour documentary about how wonderful you are, the network has discovered all of the most evil and horrible things that you have ever thought, said or did and they are going to broadcast them to millions of people all over the world for two hours during prime time.
What would you do if that happened?
The reality is that whoever that happened to would want to run away and never show their face to anyone ever again.
Why?
Because we have all done, said and thought things that are unspeakably evil.
We are sinners in the eyes of God, just as the Scriptures tell us…..
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
We were created to have fellowship with God, but we chose to reject God and we all have repeatedly broken His laws. When we broke God’s commandments, our fellowship with God was broken. By breaking God’s commandments we decided that our will would be done instead of God’s will. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is evidence of what the Bible calls sin.
The Scriptures tell us that as a result of that sin we are separated from God…..
“The wages of sin is death” [spiritual separation from God] (Romans 6:23).
So what can be done about this separation from God?
Why doesn’t God just forget about it?
Well, the truth is that God cannot just sweep our evil under the rug. If God did that, He would cease to be just.
There is a penalty for evil, and because God is just, that penalty must be paid.
Fortunately, Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins by dying for us on the cross as the Scriptures say…..
“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Jesus Christ died in our place.
Being fully man, Jesus could die for the sins of mankind.
Being fully God, Jesus could die for an infinite amount of sins.
Jesus paid the penalty for your sins and my sins so that fellowship with God could be restored.
Not only that, but Jesus proved that He is the Son of God by rising from the dead…..
“Christ died for our sins…He was buried…He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures…He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred…” (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).
You see, if there was any other way for us to be reconciled to God, Jesus would not have had to die on the cross. He could have just told us to follow one of the other ways to get to heaven. But there was no other way. The death of Jesus on the cross is the only payment for our sins and He is the only way that we are going to get to heaven. In the Scriptures, Jesus put it this way…..
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me’” (John 14:6).
But it is not enough just for you to know these things.
The Scriptures tell us that we must individually RECEIVE Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord - then we can have our sins forgiven and experience eternal life…..
“As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).
So just how does a person receive Christ?
It is actually very simple.
A person receives Christ through faith just as the Scriptures tell us…..
“By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9).
The Scriptures also tell us that if we invite Jesus into our lives by faith He will most certainly come in…..
[Christ speaking] “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him” (Revelation 3:20).
Receiving Christ involves turning to God from our sin (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for your sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. You receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will.
If you are ready to invite Jesus Christ into your life, you can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer.
The reality is that God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your exact words as He is with the attitude of your heart.
If you are ready to invite Jesus Christ into your life you can do it right now.
The following is a suggested prayer:
“Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.”
Does this prayer express the desire of your heart?
If it does, we invite you to pray this prayer right now and Jesus will come into your life, as He promised.
If you do invite Jesus Christ to come into your life, you can have 100 percent certainty that you have become a Christian and that you will go to heaven when you die. In 1 John 5:11-13, the Scriptures tell us the following…..
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Do you understand what that means?
You can know that you have eternal life.
The Bible says that if you have invited Jesus Christ into your life, your sins are forgiven and you now have eternal life.
What could be better than that?
But your journey is not done.
In fact, it is just beginning.
The Christian life is not easy – especially if you try to go it alone.
There are four keys to growth for any Christian…..
) The Bible – If you do not have a Bible you will need to get one and read it every day. It is God’s instruction book for your life.
) Prayer – Prayer is just talking with God. God wants to hear from you and He will change your life as you pray to Him with humility and sincerity.
) Fellowship – The Scriptures tell us that we all need each other. Find a fellowship of local Christians that believe the Bible and love one another. They will help you grow.
) Witnessing – Tell others about the new life that you have found in Jesus Christ. Helping even one person find eternal life is of more value than anything else you could accomplish in this world.
If you have any questions about what the Bible says about salvation, please post them below. We welcome your comments and questions…..
What does the Bible say about marriage? Well, the truth is that what the Scriptures teach us about marriage is far different from what modern society tells us about marriage. In modern society, it is common for a person to sleep with many different people before “settling down”, to live with a partner in order to “try them out” before marriage, and to divorce and end the marriage very quickly if it is “not working out”. But is that the way God intended for it to work? Of course not. The Scriptures paint a completely different picture of marriage. The Biblical model for marriage is for a man and a women who have kept themselves pure to join themselves together as “one flesh”. Sex outside of the marriage is absolutely forbidden and men and women are given specific roles to fulfill within the marriage.
So does this work?
It more than works – when you see a truly Godly marriage in action it is an awesome thing. But let us not get ahead of ourselves. Let us go back to the very beginning in order to understand God’s original design for marriage.
In Genesis 2:22-24, God created the institution of marriage…..
And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
God’s original design was for a man to leave his father and mother and to take his own wife and to start his own family. Marriage was always meant to be permanent and one of the foundational institutions of society.
In fact, Jesus reinforced this permanence in Matthew 19:4-6…..
“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”
So how is a marriage supposed to function according to the Bible? In modern society, to even suggest that men and women may have different roles in marriage is unthinkable to many people.
But what does the Bible say?
In Ephesians 5:22-25 the Scriptures tell us this…..
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
The reality is that the Scriptures do tell us that there are specific gender roles, and one of the things that really jumps out in this passage is the huge responsibility placed on men.
Husbands are given the responsibility to do whatever they have to do in order to protect their families.
In fact, this passage tells us that husbands are required to go as far as dying for their wives and families if that is what it takes.
A godly husband is instructed to provide for and to protect his family in the Scriptures. The husband is the one who is ultimately responsible before God for the welfare of his family.
But if you turn on the television today, you are not going to see this kind of husband.
Instead, what you will mostly see on television or in the movies are sex crazed, beer swilling, irresponsible slackers who cower before their more mature, more responsible and more dominant female partners.
But that is NOT the Biblical model.
According to the Scriptures, women are supposed to let men be the strong, responsible and sacrificial leaders of the home. Men are supposed to be willing to sacrifice their own desires and their own welfare for the overall good of the family.
But in America today most homes are absolutely dominated by the female.
The truth is that there should not be a male dictator or a female dictator in the home.
Rather, the Bible tells us that the husband is to exercise self-sacrificial leadership in the home by putting the needs of his wife and children above his own.
But how many homes do you know where that is happening?
Even in homes where mean are “wearing the pants”, they are way too often using that position to make themselves happy instead of serving their wives and children.
There are very, very few truly Biblical marriages out there.
Instead, unhappiness is rampant and many choose to run out and find fulfillment in the arms of another.
But God says that adultery in marriage is absolutely forbidden.
In fact, it is one of the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:14 says this…..
“You shall not commit adultery.”
Hebrews 13:4 is even more explicit about this…..
Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
God takes adultery very, very seriously. God always intends for marriage to be permanent, but Jesus instructed his followers that adultery is one thing that would justify divorce. In Matthew 5:32 He said this…..
But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
But God does not approve of all of the “easy divorces” that are taking place today. In fact, the Scriptures tell us that God hates divorce.
For a more complete examination of what the Bible says about divorce, please see our recent article entitled “What Does The Bible Say About Divorce?”
While many would view what the Bible says about marriage as “old fashioned”, the truth is that it works. If all young men and women stayed pure until marriage and never got divorced, there would be no teen pregnancies, no sexually transmitted disease pandemics, no fear of getting AIDS from your partner and a lot less broken families. The world would be a far better place.
But instead we felt like we knew better. We rebelled against God. We ran around and had sex with everyone we wanted to before and during our marriages. We promoted easy divorces and watched the consequences. Now millions of families are a mess.
The truth is that God knows what is best. As long as we rebel against Him we will continue to suffer the consequences of our rebellion.
