Forgiveness:

            Forgiveness of sins: Acts 10:43

Acts 10:43
43 “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

            Again we have the significance of believing in His name. Through this we receive forgiveness of sins. It doesn’t say that we have to do anything else to receive this forgiveness. We don’t have to earn this forgiveness. It is not by our labors, but by His one-time substitutionary death in our place. We deserve to die for our sins, but He took our place. We don’t have to keep asking forgiveness for all the sins we committed before we made Jesus Lord of our lives. However, whenever we sin after becoming Christians, we do have to ask forgiveness for those sins.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You have forgiveness of sins, My children. When you were in the world, you had no forgiveness. But now, you have come unto Me and have believed in Me. Through this you truly have forgiveness … not as the world forgives … for those of the world many times hold onto grudges, though they say they forgive. I truly forgive and cast them into the sea. I do not hold them against you, but truly forgive you. Do not fear that I will bring them back. When I remove them, they do not return.”

            6. Through His work on the cross, I have forgiveness of sins.

God has many things destined for us to receive. However, we cannot receive any of them until we ask Jesus to come into our lives and take control. We cannot experience the fulfilling life of a believer until we are a believer. This book is written for those who have received Jesus as Lord of their lives. If you have not, you can right now.

            Tell Jesus that you are sorry for all the wrong things that you have done. Thank Him that He died on the cross so that you would not have to pay the penalty for doing those sinful things. Ask Him to come into your life and to take complete control. Thank Him by faith that He did come in.

            You may or may not feel something. Different people have different experiences. He said He would come in, if you asked. Trust Him to do what He said He would do. The feelings will come later, if not now.

Eat of this bread – live forever. Jn 6:51

John 6:51
51 “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”

            We’re not going to argue whether or not the “bread” of communion actually becomes the flesh of Jesus Christ. What is important is that you have eaten of this bread (not the bread of communion of which one may participate in many times during his/her life, but the one time eating of the Bread of salvation). When one eats bread, that bread becomes a part of his/her body for a season. When one eats this Bread, He becomes part of your very soul-life forever.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "When I came to give life, I came to give it through My death. The life you live is through Me. You partake of Me through the bread you share. Just like bread gives your flesh life, so My body that was broken gives your soul life. Eat of My bread daily to grow in Me.”

            5. I have eaten of this bread of Life and shall live forever with Him.

Have eternal life in His name:

1 John 5:13
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

            This is our confidence … if we believe in His name, we know (not hope) that we have this eternal life. Jesus means Jehovah-saved. It is through God that our salvation comes … not through our effort, but His. He has done all that is necessary for our salvation. We just have to believe and receive. Then we can be like those in the verse before this one in Acts 13:48 … we can rejoice and glorify the Word of the Lord.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "Many of My children have been taught that they cannot know whether they are going to Heaven. When I chose you, I did not choose you for a little while. I chose you for eternity. Do not fear that I will someday reject you. I have chosen you and will not change My mind. You are Mine forever.”

            4. It is through His name that I have an overflowing, all-encompassing eternal life.

Eternal Life:

            Appointed to eternal life – believe:

Acts 13:48
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

            We’re not going to discuss whether or not this appointment was something God did subjectively, or knowing who would believe ahead of time, He appointed them to eternal life. What we’re concerned about is the fact that this appointment was to a life that is eternal. Also, it begins the moment one believes. It’s not something in the future when we get to Heaven, but right here and right now … forever. It’s also not just an everlasting life, but one of immense quality. This is your destiny, if you have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. You don’t have to hope that maybe somehow, someway, someday …

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You haven’t come upon this life by accident. I have chosen you. And when I chose you, I made sure you would come to know Me. Do not fear. I will never leave you. I will not turn My back on you like others have. I have chosen you because I know you will be what I have desired. You were not an accident. I have always loved you and always will.”

            3. God so loved me that I was appointed to eternal life, believing the Word spoken to me.