Immanuel - God with Us!

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel--which means, "God with us." (Matthew 1:22-23)

In the book of Matthew this was the name given to Jesus.  Immanuel appears twice in the Hebrew Scriptures and once in the New Testament.  When our sins made it impossible for us to come to Him, God took the extreme step of coming to us.  He made Himself vulnerable to sorrow, familiar with temptation, and exposed to sin’s disruptive power, in order to cancel its claim.  Jesus was truly one with God, taking on humanity to bring reconciliation between God and us. 

This was the only way to bring us back into relationship with God.  God came as a baby, then grew to be a man.  He walked, talked, and had fellowship with humanity in the person of Jesus, Immanuel, God with us.  Today, we as Christians can enjoy the presence of God, and fellowship with Him, through our faith in Jesus.

Remember this the next time you feel discouraged, abandoned, or too timid to undertake some new endeavor. Jesus is still Immanuel, He is still God with us.  So let us celebrate!

What Does it Mean to Believe in Jesus?

“He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, “They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-- you and your household.” (Acts 16:30-31)

“Do you believe in Jesus?” seems like a strange question.  It sounds like the same question as “Do you believe in Santa Claus?” or “Do you believe in aliens?”  But the question “Do you believe in Jesus?” is asking far more than “Do you believe that Jesus Christ existed/exists?”  The true meaning of the question is “Do you believe Jesus Christ is who the Bible says He is, and are you trusting Him as your Savior?”

So, do you believe in Jesus?

Suppose you were walking along a path and you came to a bridge which crossed a deep canyon. You might look at it and believe that it would hold you, and you might even see other people walking across it so you know it would hold your weight.  But so far, your “belief” in the bridge is only in your mind.  When do you really believe the bridge will hold you?  You only really believe it when you are willing to commit your life to it and actually walk across it.

Consider these questions:

1) Do you believe that Jesus is God in human form? (See John 1:1, 14)

2) Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins (See 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21), for which you deserve eternal separation from God? (See Romans 6:23)

3) Do you believe that the sacrifice of Jesus is the only adequate payment for your sins? (See 1 John 2:2; John 14:6; Acts 4:12)

Do you believe these things?  If you do, great!  But believing the facts about Jesus is only part of the equation.  Biblical faith/belief is far more than believing certain things to be true.  Biblical saving faith is also trusting and relying on those facts.

A chair is a good illustration.  You can look at a chair and believe it is made of materials strong enough to support your weight, and you can believe that it was assembled correctly.  But that is not biblical faith.  Biblical faith is sitting in the chair.  It is actually relying on the chair to hold your weight off the ground.

Are you trusting that Jesus is your Savior?  Are you relying on His death as the full payment for the debt of your sin?  Are you depending on His resurrection as the guarantee that you, too, will be raised to eternal life after death?  Not that it could ever happen, but if the “chair” of Jesus Christ were pulled out from beneath you, spiritually speaking, would you hit the ground, or are you also relying on things in addition to the chair?

If you understand and believe what the Bible says about Jesus, and if you are trusting in those truths as the basis for salvation—you are saved!  You “believe in Jesus” in the biblical sense.

If you are uncertain if you truly believe in Jesus, but you desire to, or if you feel God drawing you to faith in Jesus, the next step is simple.  Believe!  Trust in Jesus!  Rely on Him for your salvation. Allow God to turn you from sin to forgiveness and salvation.

If you would like to verbally express your new faith to God, here is a sample of what you can say:

“Heavenly Father, I know that I have sinned. I know that my sin separates me from you.  I know that if left unforgiven, my sin will separate me from you for eternity.  I believe and trust that Jesus Christ is my Savior, that He died to pay the full penalty for my sins and that He rose from the dead on the third day.  I am relying on His sacrifice alone to bring me into a right relationship with you.  Thank you for forgiving me.  Thank you for saving me.  Help me to grow closer to you each and every day for the rest of my life.”

Have you made a decision for Christ because of what you have read here? If so, please let me know so that I may rejoice with you.

I pray that you will seek to grow closer to Him, and that you will daily pray and read His Word.  If you have any questions please fill free to contact me and I will do my best to answer them. 

I will not be posting throughout the entire holiday time.  There will be one post on Christmas day and one post on New Year’s Day.  I will resume posting full-time again on January 5th.

God bless you! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Deep Love of God

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.” (Psalms 103:11-13)

Our belief in the love that God has for us is foundational to our Christian Faith.  It has everything to do with our Christian walk. Neither knowing God nor knowing self can move you very far unless it begins with the knowledge of how deeply we are loved by God.  Until we dare to believe that nothing can separate us from God’s love, then nothing we could do would bring about continued transformation of our lives. 

In order for our knowledge of God’s love to be truly transformational, it must become the basis of our identity.  Our identity is who we experience ourselves to be.  An identity grounded in God would mean that when we think of who we are, the first thing that would come to mind is our status as someone who is deeply loved by God.

It is this kind of assurance that changes a person.  It is this “Aha” awareness that changes the direction of a life.  It is this comprehension that gives us the courage to accept ourselves in Him and let go of who we think we have to be.  David knew this.  You can hear the joy in his voice, the childlike excitement, as he writes, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him.”  This is the kind of love, grace, and forgiveness that ignites a fire deep in our soul.

No matter how this world has hurt you, rejected you or despised you, there is always someone who loves you just the way you are.  As a child of God, you are deeply loved.  This is the essence of your life, and your relationship with Him. This is your significance.  You know what drives you is His love.  You know what moves you in life because you know He loves you so much.

May this day begin with a new awareness of how precious you are to God.

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (I John 4:10)