Monday, April 24, 2017
Pastor Ysidro’s recent bible study in the 10th Chapter of Acts about the Roman Centurion, Cornelius, stirred up this thought within me: Though Cornelius was a devout, generous, and seemingly religious man, that alone did not guarantee him automatic entry into Heaven. He, as well as the rest of his family, had to hear the gospel message of salvation, had to believe in Christ, recognize his sinful nature, and receive Him in his heart. That sounds a bit complicated but the bottom line is simple: All that is required to be saved is to believe in Christ. You see, Cornelius and all his family were saved when they believed in Jesus. They did all the other steps not to get saved but because, by believing in Christ, they were already saved.
Unlike Cornelius, many religious people mistakenly believe that their good works and devotion to God alone are enough to save them. No, Romans 3:23 tells us: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”and since we are all sinners, we all need a Savior. John 1:12 says that only those who receive Christ (in their heart) can call themselves His children, which destroys the erroneous belief of many that everyone automatically is a child of God. Every human being in the world is God’s creation but only they who have received Christ in their heart are His children. These are the only ones who lawfully have the right to start their prayer by saying: “Our Father, who art in Heaven.”
God’s word for today: (Galatians 6:14) “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”
