Growing up, we had a plant in our back yard that looked like a cross between a tree and a bush. For years we wondered what sort of plant this could be. Then one year, we discovered the truth. The bush tree was an apple tree (it had not been cared for after the previous owner had planted it). We found that it was an apple tree because one summer day, we noticed that something was growing on it, apples.

When Christ walked the earth, he stated that just as we can identify trees by their fruit, we can recognize people by their fruit. Men can claim what they are all they want, but their fruit tells the true story. As a result, John states in 1 John 2:3-6 that genuine believers obey God. Your view of God dictates your view of life. So, if you are a genuine believer (thus possessing a proper view of God), you will seek to obey God out of gratefulness for all that God has done for you in salvation. So, John states that you can have confidence in your relationship with God if you obey Him. Genuine believers obey God. John illustrates this obedience in three areas.

First, John states that those who know God keep his commandments. The “knowledge” of God describe throughout the text of Scripture is not only intellectual but also experiential and dynamic. John further explains that this personal knowledge of God is not devoid of action. Those that know God keep his commandments.

Yet there is one more essential facet to this phrase. This verb, keep, means more than the observance of the command. It implies duration and perseverance: to observe diligently, guard carefully, and suddenly realize a truth. In other words, “to keep God’s word” goes far beyond mere conformity to law. It expresses a zealous desire to adhere to God’s will.

Christ illustrated what this looks like in the Semon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). In this text, Christ examined the ten commandments and revealed that keeping those commandments went well beyond the letter of the law. For instance, although one might refrain from actual murder, if one becomes angry with another, he murders his heart. The heart action is the same as the physical action. When the believer seeks to obey God’s command, he is not simply content with outward conformity but with inward change.

This mark of a believer raises an essential question for each of us. Do we seek to surrender or accomplish the bare minimum for God or willingly submit entirely to God’s commands? When you serve, do you serve only when convenient, or do you serve wholeheartedly and sacrificially? When you give, do you count down to the exact 10% tithe, or do you give sacrificially out of the abundance of grace God has given you? Genuine believers obey God’s commands, all the way down to the heart behind the command.

1 John 1:9 informs us that when we confess our sin, God is right and faithful to forgive our sin. Believers often struggle with forgiveness because we don’t understand it. We have false views of what forgiveness means. For us to value God’s forgiveness and pass forgiveness on to others, we must understand it correctly.

Peacemakers International presents a valuable picture of forgiveness through their book, Resolving Everyday Conflict. The author, Ken Sande, begins by describing some false views of forgiveness. Many find themselves struggling with these erroneous views. First, forgiveness is not a feeling. Often, individuals struggle to forgive because they don’t feel like forgiving. The hurt, bitterness, and anger remain so deeply seated that they cannot be overcome. But forgiveness is not a feeling. As humans of emotion, feeling and truth often clash. Our hearts deceive us (Jer. 17:9). But forgiveness is an action, not a feeling.

Second, forgiveness is not forgetting. Sometimes individuals state that they cannot forgive because they could never forget the sin against them. However, this statement misunderstands forgiveness. God forgives us and yet knows all. He does not forget our sin. Instead, God chooses not to remember (Jeremiah 31:34 and Hebrews 10:17). When God asks us to forgive, He is not asking us to forget. He is asking us to choose not to remember. While this is incredibly difficult, it is an important step.

Finally, forgiveness does not mean we need to excuse the sin. Sin is always sin. Sin must always be called sin. Forgiveness does not alter the nature of sin. Many times when someone seeks forgiveness, the response given is that they should not worry about it. Or that is it fine. However, sin must be acknowledged and addressed.

What then is forgiveness. True forgiveness involves four promises. When understood, these promises provide freedom and release. The first promise of forgiveness is that I won’t dwell on this incident. When God forgives us, He informs us that He will cast our sin as far as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:12). Often, we love to dwell on the sin against us. We think about it at night. We ruminate on it throughout the day. And as a result, we never truly let it go. We must choose instead to think about other things.

The second promise of forgiveness is that I will not bring up this incident and use it against you. God does not bring our sin back to us once it is placed under the blood of the cross (Is. 43:12; Hebrews 8:12). So we should not weaponize all that has happened against us. Instead, we must move forward and seek healing in the relationship.

The third promise is that I won’t talk to others about this incident. Often, others take up our offense. Yet, when reconciliation arrives, they are not a part of that reconciliation. We must ensure that we keep the circle of conversation only as large as the circle of offense. Don’t sin by gossiping about others.

The final promise is that I won’t allow this incident to stand between us or hinder our relationship. I must choose to repair the relationship. Although we have sinned against God, he does not hold it against us (Rom. 8:1). Relationships take hard work. This work requires humility. Ephesians 4:32 informs us that the motivation for this work is the incredible forgiveness of God for us.

Regardless of the sin against you and the pain you feel, God requires forgiveness by the believer. Yet, he also exemplifies this forgiveness to the believer. When we come to God in confession and repentance, God is right and faithful to grant that forgiveness to us. So also, we should give that forgiveness to others.

Corrie Ten Boom was a young Dutch woman during World War 2 in Amsterdam. From 1942-1944, her family hid Jews from the Germans in their home. However, they were discovered in 1944 and her entire family was sent to prison camps where they suffered unspeakable atrocities. When the war ended, Corrie was the lone surviving member of her family. After the war, she began to travel the world speaking to groups about the struggles of the war and the forgiveness of God. One day in 1947, the unthinkable happened. She relates the incident in her book, Tramp for the Lord.

“It was in a church in Munich that I saw him. It was 1947 and I had come from Holland to a defeated Germany with the message that God forgives … And that’s when I saw him working his way forward against the others. One moment I saw the overcoat and the brown hat; the next, a blue uniform and a visored cap with its skull and cross bones. It came back with a rush: the huge room with its harsh overhead lights; the pathetic pile of dresses and shoes in the center of the floor; the shame of walking past this man. I could see my sister’s frail form ahead of me, ribs sharp beneath the parchment skin.

The place was Ravensbruck and the man who was making his way forward had been a guard – one of the most cruel guards. Now he was in front of me, hand thrust out: ‘A fine message, Fraulein! How good it is to know that, as you say, all our sins are at the bottom of the sea!’

And I, who had spoken so glibly of forgiveness, fumbled in my pocketbook rather than take that hand. He would not remember me, of course – how could he remember one prisoner among those thousands of women? But I remembered him and the leather crop swinging from his belt. I was face to face with one of my captors and my blood seemed to freeze.

‘You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk,’ He was saying, ‘I was a guard there. But since that time, He went on, I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fraulein, will you forgive me?’

And I stood there – I whose sins had again and again to be forgiven – and I could not forgive. Betsie had died in that place – could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking? It could not have been many seconds that he stood there – hand held out – but to me it seemed like hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do. For I had to do it – I knew that. The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us. ‘If you do not forgive men their trespasses,’ Jesus says, ‘neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’

I still stood there with the coldness clutching my heart. But forgiveness is not an emotion – I knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. ‘Jesus help me!’ I prayed silently. ‘I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling.’

And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being bringing tears to my eyes.

‘I forgive you, brother!’ I cried ‘With all my heart.’ For a long moment we grasped each other’s hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God’s love so intensely as I did then. But even so I realized it was not my love. I had tried, but I did not have the power. It was the power of the Holy Spirit as recorded in Romans 5:5, ‘… because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us’.”[1]

May God grant us this heart of forgiveness for all those that wrong us. True forgiveness is in short supply today. Yet, it is needed in great supply today. Next week we will spend some time examining some confusion around forgiveness that may help us learn to forgive.

[1] Corrie Ten Boom, Tramp for the Lord (Grand Rapids, MI: Fleming H. Revell, 1994), 55-57.

Last week we examined the horrific results of covering our sin. Our society views the acknowledgment of sin as an admission of weakness. Which indeed it is. However, culture today views this weakness as a bad thing. Sadly, failure to acknowledge, confess, and forsake sin leads to immense guilt and shame. Further, the more we sin, the more we become ingrained in our sin through the searing of our conscience.

However, God views our acknowledgment and confession of sin entirely differently. We do not need to live in shame or fear. Instead, God gives an extraordinary promise to all who come to Him in faith. In 1 John 1:9, John informs us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This amazing promise transforms lives as we understand it.

First, we must understand some important terms. Sometimes, what comes to mind is the Roman Catholic confession when we think of confession. This practice of absolution stands contrary to the Word of God. This word means more than simply admitting we are sinners, but taking full responsibility, laying them before God’s feet, and seeking forgiveness. This confession involves repentance from our sin—a change of heart and an about-face in life.

When we confess our sin to God, He makes two crucial promises. First, we learn that God forgives us. Yet, John states it magnificently. God is faithful to forgive us. God’s forgiveness reveals God’s faithfulness. God does not forget his children. He does not turn his back on his children. Instead, God rejoices in showing his faithfulness to His children by forgiving them when they come to him in faith. Further, God is just or righteous to do this. It is right that God forgives us. The sacrifice of Christ on the cross means that no sinner is so far gone that God will not save them.

God does not want you to clean yourself up before coming to Him. God invites you into His presence so that He can forgive your sin. And it is right that he does this. Yet, he also cleanses us from unrighteousness. He removes the dirtiness of sin. He removes the guilt of our sin. And he makes us righteous. As you consider your life today, you do not need to live with the intense guilt plaguing many people. God invites you into His presence to find grace and forgiveness through the blood of the cross.

The more we grow in our relationship with God and the closer we come to God, we become more aware of our sin and lack of holiness. We gradually become more like Paul in Romans 7, where he reveals the Christian’s intense struggle against sin. This revelation then leads to the believer’s response to that sin. As John continues to present the tests by which one may know if he is a genuine believer, he informs the reader that genuine believers live a life of confession and repentance.

A genuine believer recognizes the ongoing battle with sin. Each of us responds to sin in one of two ways: either we hide it or confess it. In 1 John 1:6, the Christian learns the results of hiding sin. Some believe that through salvation, sin was eradicated in their life. Even today, some hold to the errant belief that they can come to a place of sinless perfection. Even those who would not stoop to the claim to be perfect regularly hide their sin behind other labels. We call sin everything but what it is. We call it a mistake, sickness, disease, alternative lifestyle, different choice, or simply who we are. These are all ways in which we seek to state in amicable terms that we are without sin.

We do ourselves no favors when we call sin by every other name. This is the message in Romans 1, where Paul states that those who began to glory in their sin declared themselves to be wise, but in all actuality, they were fools. Instead, the reality is that we all struggle with sin. So when we claim that we are not sinning or call sin by another name, we are deceiving ourselves. Until we come face to face with our sin and call it what it is, we cannot overcome it. Instead, we live in a state of self-deception.

However, the most severe reality is that we demonstrate that the Truth is not in us when we hide our sins. The Truth here is Christ. He is not in us because the very foundation of the Gospel is the acknowledgment of sin. Christ came to save sinners. This is the message of Romans 3:10-26. Christ came to conquer sin and grow us in holiness until the day when Christ fully and finally defeats sin at his second coming. When we deny and hide our sin, we reveal that we are not children of God.

We also see in I John 1 that when we hide our sin, we make God a liar. God clearly states that we all have a massive sin problem. When we pretend that this is not our problem and act as though we do not struggle with sin, we call God a liar. We are making God out to be a liar. When we say something is good that God says is not good, we are not simply aligning ourselves with the culture around us or seeking relevance in a changing world. We are stating that God lied.

What will be true of the individual if God is the light of his life? The light of God will be doing for him with light does. For one thing, the light will expose the darkness so that the dark places are increasingly cleansed of sin and become bright and fruitful places for God’s blessing. This does not mean that the individual will become increasingly conscious of how good they are becoming. On the contrary, a growth in holiness will mean an increase in a genuine sensitivity to sin in one’s life and an intense desire to eliminate from life all that displeases God. James Boice states well, “Instead of boasting in his progress, the person will be increasingly ready to acknowledge sin and seek to have it eliminated.”

Lastly, we reveal that God’s Word does not dwell in us when we hide our sins. Those who ignore the Word give themselves over to sin. On the other hand, as an individual spends more time internalizing God’s Word, there is always less sin. When one internalizes God’s Word, he begins to live out God’s Word.

This week’s challenge is to examine your life and acknowledge your sin struggle. Do you hide your sin, deny your sin, or defend your sin? Do you regularly recognize where you need to grow in your walk with God? Do you call sin by its name? True Christians recognize and acknowledge their sin. Next week we will move forward in 1 John and take great comfort in the reality that when we confess our sin, God is faithful and just to forgive it.

John begins 1 John 1:5 with the first test of Christianity. Just because you call yourself a Christian does not mean that you are one. As a result, we must look at the tests of life. Throughout this examination of 1 John, we will identify several tests of the genuine Christian life. The first test we identify in 1 John 1:5-7 is that genuine believers walk in the light.

John begins by summarizing the gospel’s message in a unique and exciting way. He states the sum of the message is that God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. Throughout the writings of John, John describes God’s nature in three ways: God is spirit (John 4:24), God is light (1 John 1:5), and God is love (1 John 4:8).

However, we must pause and note the lack of an article in each of these. John states not that God is the spirit, the light, and the love or even, in all probability, a Spirit, a light, and a love, but rather spirit, light, and love themselves. God is the very definition of these terms. However, we must ask, what does John mean when he states that God is light?

When we think of physical light, we think of that energy by which all else is revealed to our eyes. Intellectually when someone gains light, we mean that they gain knowledge. But when we speak in moral terms, light is purity. Throughout the Scriptures, God and his glory are often described in terms of light (Psalm 27:1; 36:9; 104:1-2; John 1:1-13; 8:12)

When John states that God is light and there is no darkness, John speaks of God’s holiness. God is entirely and whole separate from sin. This reality has two vital results: Those who walk in darkness while claiming to be in the light are not genuine believers; Genuine believers walk in the light.

John begins with the ones claiming that they have fellowship with God. To have fellowship with God is to have a relationship with God and be a believer, a child of God. John, however, continues that these people claim fellowship with God but walk in darkness. The idea of walking in darkness is to have a lifestyle and to live a certain way. And if the light in this text indicates holiness and purity, then darkness indicates sinfulness and impurity.

John states that the test is not your words but your actions. Do you live in a way that separates you from sin? Or do you live so that no one would know that you are a child of God? Do your actions back up what you claim here. When the neighbor is being very unneighborly, when you are having a bad day, when you suffer financial hardship, and when facing legal problems, do you respond in a distinctly and uniquely Christian way? Is your language different, your entertainment different, how you carry yourself different, and your attitude different?

The individuals who had left the churches around Ephesus taught that they could live however they wanted and still have fellowship with God. They followed the line of thinking Paul battled in Romans which forced Paul to ask in Romans 6, should we continue in sin so that we can keep receiving grace? These individuals believed that because they were Christians, it was all good. Sadly, today it is not uncommon for people to claim fellowship with God to see no necessity to go to the cross of Christ for cleansing and forgiveness or to lead a consistently holy life. It’s not enough to claim to know God. A holy life must follow. We must live in light of the truth, practice it, and avoid sin.

Why are these individuals called liars? Because secondly, they do not practice the truth. Jesus states in John 14:6 that he is the truth. He says in John 17:17 that the Word is truth. When we live lives marked by sin, we are not practicing God’s Word.

On the other hand, when one has a relationship with God, they will live a holy life (John 11:9; 12:35). Religious life is not merely a matter of spiritual reflection or intellectual persuasion; instead, it is comprehensive. It is a habit of walking, a way of living (cf. Proverbs 8:20; Isaiah 2:5; Ephesians 5:22).

John gives two results: Fellowship and cleansing. John reminds us again that fellowship with God results in fellowship with one another. When one walks in the light (in fellowship with God), God implants in him a love for the church. I am going to make a pretty dogmatic statement here, but please understand I am stating what John is saying here, a church that does not love one another is a church that is full of unbelievers. One cannot love God and hate God’s body.

When we seek to live holy lives, God has made provision to purify us from whatever sin hinders and mars our fellowship with God or His church. I believe that John is speaking here both of justification and sanctification. God’s blood cleanses us from all unrighteousness in justification once and for all. The eternal penalty of sin, the wrath of God, has been forever removed. When we walk in the light, we demonstrate that we have received the justification of Christ.

However, before we can examine the tests, we must lay the foundation. The first four verses of 1 John 1 remind us that the foundation of our faith must be Jesus Christ. James Boice stated it this way, “The most important thing John has to say in his preface is that Christianity is Jesus Christ.” This message of the Gospel is not new. It is from the beginning. Christ, our Creator, existed eternally. John began His Gospel with the same reminder. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

John is also pointing out something important beyond Christ’s eternality. He reminds us that God’s plan of redemption was not secondary. This was God’s plan before He created anything. This is the perfect plan. So, we cannot change it to fit what we want. We cannot claim that there is something better. Instead, we must understand that there is only one plan. We follow it and find life, or we reject it and find death.

This eternal plan of redemption is the Grand Story Line of the Bible. From the beginning of Genesis in the Garden of Eden to the end of Revelation in the Garden of Heaven, the theme of the Bible is the redemptive work of God through Christ. As we wonder how we can know if we are Christians, we must start with God’s redemptive plan. This plan informs us that we are sinners alienated from God. We cannot earn or declare our way to God (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). Instead, Jesus Christ (God Himself) took on human form and took our punishment on himself. Only through faith in Christ can this be applied to us. True faith involves complete surrender to Jesus as our Lord. It requires repentance of sin. And it results in a desire to please God in everything. Over the next few weeks, we will look at John’s tests to determine if our faith is genuine.

Today we celebrate Christ’s death. Two thousand years ago, on that fateful day, Christ suffered and died for our sins. As you meditate on Christ’s death today, here is a rough schedule of that day Christ purchased our redemption:

4:00-6:00 am – Jesus was brought before Caiaphas and Annas for trial. They could not find anything to convict Jesus, so a false witness was brought. Asked if He is the Christ, Jesus responded, “You have said it yourself.” He was then beaten and spit on.

As Jesus stood before Caiaphas and Annas, Peter made his way to the courtyard outside. Confronted about being one of the Jesus People, he flatly denied it. By the third confrontation, he began to curse. Then the rooster crowed; Peter saw Jesus leaving the compound and wept in shame.

6:00-8:00 am – Daylight appeared, and the Jewish leaders dragged Jesus to Pilate for sentencing. However, Pilate had no desire to become involved in what he perceived to be a no-win situation. He stated, “I find no guilt in this man.” Asking if Jesus is Galilean, Pilate found a jurisdiction loophole. So, he sent Jesus to Herod, who oversaw Galilee.

Herod attempted to question Jesus, but Jesus kept silent. Finally, Herod allowed his soldiers to abuse Jesus and sent Him back to Pilate.

When Jesus arrived back before Pilate, Pilate continued to question Jesus. However, Jesus continued to remain silent. Marveling at Jesus’ composure, Pilate offered the gathering crowd the opportunity to release Jesus. However, with the urging of the religious leaders, the crowd demanded that Pilate release a thief and murderer named Barabbas instead. They then demanded that Pilate crucify Jesus. After symbolically washing his hands, Pilate turned Jesus over for death.

After Jesus was condemned, the soldier renewed their abuse. They whipped Him, beat Him, jammed a crown of thorns on His head, and put a purple robe on His bloody and tattered body. After humiliating Jesus, they removed the robe and prepared a bloody and battered Jesus for death.

8:00-8:30 am – Jesus began the trek through the city and outside the walls to Golgotha for crucifixion. Having endured so much abuse, He could not carry His cross. The soldiers grabbed a man named Simon from the crowd and forced him to take Jesus’ cross the rest of the way.

As Jesus made his way to Golgotha, a crowd followed him weeping. Jesus turned and told them not to weep for Him but for themselves. For, if the leaders did this when Jesus was with them, what would they do when He was gone?

9:00 am – The group arrived at Golgotha. They stretched Jesus’ arms across the beam and nailed his wrists to the wood. They then nailed his ankles to the vertical piece and hoisted the cross in place. The process of procuring our redemption had begun.

9:00-9:30 am – Jesus was offered a drink to numb the pain, but He refused. Having completed their work, the soldiers settled in for a day of watching the criminals die. They began to cast lots to determine who got to take home the various items of the criminal’s clothing.

The soldiers placed a placard over Jesus stating His “crime”: He was the King of the Jews. He cries out, “Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do!”

9:30-11:00 am – The Chief Priests, Scribes, and soldiers begin to abuse Jesus verbally. “He saved others; He cannot save Himself.” “He is the King of Israel, let Him come down from the cross, and we will believe.” Of course, they wouldn’t believe it. Jesus had done various miracles, but they only cared for their power. “He trusts in God; let God rescue Him. He claims to be the Son of God.” The two thieves began to get in on the verbal abuse through the pain. “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

11:00 am -12:00 pm – One of the thieves fell under conviction and rebuked the other thief. He then turned to Jesus and asked to be remembered when Christ came to His Kingdom. Jesus responded with forgiveness, “Today you will be with Me in paradise!”

Through the pain, Jesus looked down and observed a group of women, His mother, and John. He instructed John to care for Mary. And from that day forward, John took her into his house. Even in death, Jesus continued to show compassion.

12:00-3:00 pm – an eerie three-hour darkness fell across the land. The sun would not shine on the death of its Creator. After hanging on the cross all morning, Jesus’ body began to dehydrate from the loss of fluids, and his lungs screamed out for oxygen. Pushing up against the nails, He struggled for a breath. But the dehydration would cause his muscles to cramp, and he would drop back down and begin to suffocate.

The darkness continued, and our sin was placed on Jesus. The Father turned His face away from His Son for the first time. Jesus cried out, “My Father, My Father, why have You forsaken Me?” He was made sin for us!

Suffering from intense dehydration and suffocation and knowing that only one Scripture remained which He needed to fulfill, Jesus cried out, “I thirst!” Someone brought a sponge dipped in sour wine.

Redemption had been paid. Jesus cried out, “It is finished!” Paid in full! He paid a debt he did not owe and placed righteousness on the accounts of the elect. Jesus then cried out again with a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit!” And the Savior died. Earth raged. A great earthquake struck, rocks split, the veil in the Temple ripped, and tombs opened. The Centurion stated in awe, “He was the Son of God!”

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that  brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. ⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:4-6)

Eighteen years ago yesterday, I walked to my college’s dining hall to serve my shift as a resident assistant. Students would use the dining hall as a place to study, play games, and otherwise entertain themselves. My role was to make sure the dining hall remained standing. As Heather and I walked over that particular Sunday night, we noted that the weather was getting colder again.

Meanwhile, several of my friends traveled back to college in Pembine, Wisconsin, from serving at Central Baptist Church in Stephenson, Michigan. They did not realize that the rain and melted snow had turned to ice. When their van hit the ice, then the dry pavement, it rolled several times. Two young ladies were partially ejected from the car and passed away. One was a fellow resident assistant who was weeks away from graduating. She desired to serve God on the mission field.

In the aftermath of the accident, several life-changing principles became evident. These principles continue to resound 18 years later. First, you have no guarantee of tomorrow, so live your life entirely for God today. Proverbs 27:1 instructs us not to boast about tomorrow. We don’t know what will happen. You just might stand before God today.

Second, living for God is never a waste. While these ladies were young, their lives were not wasted. They spent their time in college ministering to others and fostering in them a love for God. Their desire to serve God with their lives continues to motivate countless friends today. Living for this world is a waste. Eternity does not care about your leisure, toys, job, prestige, or finances. Only what you have done for God matters. A life lived for God is never a waste

Third, value your relationships. You never know when they will end. All too often, we allow petty things to divide us. We hold our opinions so firmly that we damage our relationships. This is foolish. Instead, we would be wise to humble ourselves and value others are more important than ourselves. Don’t waste your life. You are not guaranteed a tomorrow.

Christians need to be clear about the gospel. If you were asked, “What is the gospel?” How would you answer that question? That question often receives blank stares from many who claim to be Christians. But this is the most critical question we must answer. If we can’t answer this question, we offer nothing to this world.

The Apostle Paul answered this question in 1 Corinthians 15 by stating that the gospel consists of four essential aspects. First, we are sinners. He says that Christ died for our sin. We must recognize that people are not basically good. Romans 3 informs us that we are all bad, completely evil. Our sin is more than a mistake, an error, or an illness. Our sin is a crime against God, condemning us to eternal wrath.

But second, Christ died for our sin. God himself became a man. He lived a perfect life without sin. And yet still suffered the penalty of sin for us. He died on the cross and took our sin on himself. We must note that he really died. Paul states that he was buried. For three days, he lay dead in the grave. Only through suffering death for us could he free us from sin. Through this death, God can justly forgive our sin.

Third, Jesus conquered death. He rose from the dead after three days. Through this resurrection, Christ accomplished several things. First, Romans 4 informs us that this resurrection accomplished our justification. Because Christ rose from the dead, he proved that his work is sufficient for our forgiveness. God is just to forgive us. Second, Christ’s resurrection proves that he is indeed God. Only God can conquer death and grant life. Third, Christ’s resurrection ensures that one day, all who place their faith in him will rise from the dead as well. His resurrection guarantees our future.

Fourth, we must respond to Christ in faith. This means more than simply agreeing with the previous three things. This means that we surrender everything to God and give Him our life. Many Christians refer to this as asking Jesus into their heart. They mean that they have surrendered their heart (the very center of their life) to God. All their actions, thoughts, beliefs, and desires now belong to him.

This is the Gospel. Do you believe it? Have you surrendered your life to God? Or are you relying on your morality for a relationship with God? Do you depend on your church attendance for a relationship with God? Only surrender to God saves us. Consider your life to see if you are indeed a child of God.