"The Commission"

 "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." (John 20:21 KJV) 

  "Who is this who comes from Edom, from the city of Bozrah, with his clothing stained red? Who is this in royal robes, matching in his great strength? "It is I, the LORD, announcing your salvation! It is I, the LORD, who has the power to save!" Why are your clothes so red, as if you have been treading grapes? "I have been treading the winepress alone; no one was there to help me. In my anger I have trampled my enemies as if they were grapes. In my fury I have trampled my foes. Their blood has stained my clothes."" (Isaiah 63:1-3 NLT)

 I hope none of you were offended; but I had to make a point. Unlike some of the people who might not point out the differences in what we should believe, I feel that we only have one chance to believe the truth; because once this life is over, it will be time to be judged! And like to or not, you will bow down to the LORD; hopefully, not just to say that you are sorry for not taking His offer! 

 This is really a very serious thing! It's not like you have a choice as to who you believe Christ Jesus is, as long as you understand that He was sacrificed for you to be able to work towards being saved; what He did was won and done! When the LORD makes you clean, you are clean, absolutely and completely! We have nothing to do with the removal of sin: only God is able to remove and cast away your sins! 

 Now we can not only celebrate what He has done, but we have a responsibility to share what He has done! That doesn't mean that you have to go from house to house sharing about the Lord and the gift of salvation; but you do need to live out the great commission in whatever way God has you! Even if you don't feel worthy, it is not about you; it is about Jesus Christ and the blood that has washed away your sins, all sins! 

 Again, Jesus says, "Peace be unto you!" The word is "eirene," which is the kind of peace which Jesus gives, not just for comfort or tranquility, because there are times when we will be made uncomfortable and times when we will be confused and full of doubt! No, this is about peace towards salvation, as we must absolutely believe that He has taken away our sin, that we are absolutely secure in Him, and that even though we might mess up, He will still stand up for us, as our Defender! 

 Sometimes you just have to get right to the point...

"But - "When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life." This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone." (Titus 3:4-8 NLT)