Walk the Roman's Road with John's Help

Romans 3:10
As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one.

Romans 3:23
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 5:12
As sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.

Romans 8:13,14
If you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Romans 6:23
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:8 niv
God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 10:9-10
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus as Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Romans 10:13
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Romans 5:1
Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Romans 8:1
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:38-39
I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.

Does God Exist?

Only the foolish, rebellious people have to deal with the question of the existence of God. His existence is self-evident to anyone who bothers to address the question. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:20 & 21

In 2008, radio talk-show host Glen Beck asked the following question: “Why all this talk about who is a Christian and who isn’t a Christian? Don’t we all believe in God?”

The answer to that question is: “Perhaps most do, however, those who simply believe in God are not Christians.” Even Satan believes in God. So do Muslims, Mormons (like Mr. Beck), Hindus, Buddhists, etc.

The important question, as all Christians know, is: Do you believe in Jesus Christ? More specifically do you believe He is God, come in the form of man to show you how to live, pay the penalty for your sins and reconcile you unto Him? Do you believe INTO Jesus Christ? Have you accepted His forgiveness of your sins, His authority (as God) to do so, and are you now indwelled by His Spirit and experiencing His salvation from the world, from sin, from your sins, from your self, and from Satan?

This is the real question: “Who do you say Jesus is?”

“What about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16: 15 & 16

It should have been me

Easter week is upon us and I find myself thinking about: David in Ft Lewis getting ready to go to Iraq in a week or so; Christine & Nate in Moorhead continuing the fight against the flood waters; Brian looking for a job and working at getting his business going; the music we have to learn for the Good Friday Service and Easter morning; and the guests that are coming to my house and what I will feed them...

BUT, for a moment at least, I hit "pause" on the brain chatter...

It should have been my hands and it should have been my feet where the nails were. I know the truth is, the debt was mine to pay. It should have been my side that was cut open and it should have been my heart that was broken.

At times I overlook His grace and the sacrifice He made. Sometimes I'm busy living the life He has given me to live and thinking I'm worth the love He freely gives. Sometimes I run the race like I've earned the right. Then I look at the cross and I realize all over again:

It should have been me.